


Process

by Jensine70



Series: Along the Road [2]
Category: Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/M, Friendship, Mystery, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-05-01 10:31:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 84,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14518545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jensine70/pseuds/Jensine70
Summary: Sequel to: Stall. Set in Season 2, begins summer before senior year at Neptune High. What began as a favor exchange program and flirtationship became more during junior year. Now that they've gone public, things around them are getting complicated. Between family and friends, school and PCH Bike Club, work and solving cases – it could never be boring. And that's before the bus crash.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1, 2, & 3 = modified version of summer (covered in #2.1 "Normal Is the Watchword")

Overall, I guess it was a good summer – with sprinkles of bad … and showers of odd and disturbing.  Forecast: cloudy with a chance of chaos.  Suffice to say, I've got plenty of material for any back-to-school "what I did last summer" essay I'm asked to write.

It should have been an indication of what the coming school year would be like. But after solving Lilly's murder, I didn't want to dwell on the past or dread the future.

I was trying to choose to enjoy the present.

I was trying to resist the urge to track down the answer to everything that made me curious.

As intrigue swirled around me, I stood in the eye of the storm, where it could be deceptively calm.

**~*~*~**

The day after school let out, I was at the office helping Dad close out a few cases, get info to clients, file what we needed to keep for our records. Weevil showed up, asking if I had dinner plans.  Apparently, his grandma was tired of hearing reasons why I hadn't been over for dinner yet.

He didn't tell me that until we got to his house.  

"Hope you brought your appetite, V, 'cause I promised her I'd finally bring you over."  Walking toward the porch, he said, "At some point, you'll have to come over when everyone's here – the whole family, all the cousins. But tonight, it's just us." As he stepped over the threshold, he called out, "We're here." But he didn't need to.

Letty had heard the door and was already coming toward us. After wiping her hands on her apron, she reached out for mine. She was as giddy as a schoolgirl as she said, "Veronica, it is so good to see you again. Come in the kitchen. We can talk while I finish dinner."

He kissed me on the cheek, saying, "I'll be back in a minute." He indicated the helmets in his hands.

She led me to a chair in the kitchen. I offered to help, but she insisted that I was a guest – tonight, at least.

Once Weevil rejoined us, she began to ask me a series of questions. She wanted to know how we got together. She had heard his version, but she wanted to hear mine. Even though I seemed to be a good influence on her grandson, she was still protective of him. And apparently, I was going to have to pass her test.

So I told her about the first favor I did for him – the Sac-N-Pac video. Well, sort of. I steered clear of most details. Just told her that a couple of the PCHers had gotten into trouble, they blamed it on a friend of mine, and I asked Weevil to leave my friend alone if I could make their problem go away. "That worked out nicely for both of us. After a few more favors, I started tutoring him and we started spending time together."

"Wait. The credit card situation … with Chardo … that wasn't the first time you helped him?"

"No." I watched as she nodded, taking in the information and trying to piece together a timeline. I continued, "It took me a little while to figure out why he was being so protective of me. But after we finally talked about it … and then, um, the first time he kissed me …" I sighed and felt myself blush.

"And your father … what did he say?"

"They apparently had a talk the morning after Mr. Echolls was arrested. I don't know what got said, but they have some kind of agreement."

She gave him a long look that seemed to be saying: 'Don't screw this up.'

He got up to set the table. I got up to look over her shoulder as she finished cooking. I asked questions about her recipes. Everything smelled delicious. She rattled off the names of the dishes and some of the ingredients. I tried to remember everything she said.

While we ate and during cleanup, the two of them shifted effortlessly between languages. My Spanish was pretty good, but as I sat there, I realized being in his home would force me to improve my communication skills.

"Oh, Veronica, I'm sorry. We're being rude," she said.

"No need to apologize, Mrs. Navarro," I said.

"Well, I don't know about that. But there's certainly no need to be so formal. Please, call me Letty."

"Letty. Not to worry. _Entiendo lo que están diciendo_."

"Ah! You understand."

"Much of the time, anyway."

We chatted some more while we finished the dishes. Then, we sat in the living room watching tv with her. When she nodded off for the fifth time, Weevil had to encourage her to go to bed.

After she had closed her bedroom door, he told me that she had been really tired lately. He continued to talk about the fact that she worked too hard, tried to do too many things, take care of too many people. I could tell he was concerned. Unsure what to say, I just listened as I lightly rubbed circles on the back of his hand with my thumb.

Without any warning, he stood up and started walking toward the hallway. He looked over his shoulder to see if I was following him.

Leaning against the doorframe, I watched him move around his room, gathering clothes.

"Can I help?"

"No. Just gonna put a load in the washer."  Seeing my surprise, he added, “Like I said, she works too hard."

After he got the washer started, he went back into his room and absentmindedly started picking things up.

Walking over to him, I took his hands in mine. "Why don't you sit down?" I walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. Pointing at the floor between my feet, I said, "Let me give you a backrub."

He didn't even try to argue. About half an hour passed as I rubbed his shoulders. The only sounds in the room were the happy little sighs and moans that escaped his mouth.

Finally, I leaned forward, draping my arms around his shoulders. My hands were resting on his chest as I kissed him on the cheek and asked, "Better?"

Leaning into my left leg and resting his head on my thigh, he said, "Yeah. Thanks."

"When do you need to be home?"

I became aware of our surroundings: alone in his room, no one around to walk in on us.  Glancing at my watch, I answered, "I don't exactly have a curfew, but I should let Dad know where I am, especially since I left my car at the office."  After Dad’s reply came, I said to Weevil, "He asked that I try to be home by midnight. He wants to update me on a case before he goes to bed."

"So … we've got some time."

"Yeah," I said, unsure what he was thinking.

I watched as he set his alarm clock for about an hour from now. Then, he climbed onto the bed.

"Come 'ere," he said as he reached for me.

The simplest things with him felt intimate. Being in his arms just felt right. Being in his bed was something I could get used to.

When his alarm went off, he hit the button and groaned. After several kisses – or one long kiss, depending on how you look at it – he got up to move his clothes from the washer to the dryer.  As he went through motions that would be natural to me, I watched in near fascination.  

Then, he led me to the kitchen. He pulled out some leftovers.

"How can you be hungry again?" I asked.

He just shrugged. "You want anything?"

Shaking my head, I watched him begin to eat right out of the container so he didn't dirty another dish.

"Dryer should be done soon. Then, we can get going … if you want."

"That's fine. Whenever."

As if he felt the need to explain, he said, "She doesn't like to leave appliances running if no one's around. I think she's paranoid about bad wiring ... starting a fire. Anyway, since she's sleeping, I should wait."

He took the now-empty container to the sink and wiped his mouth on a paper towel. Walking back to the table, he pulled me out of my chair and into his lap. He wrapped his arms around me and laid his head on my chest.

I didn't mean to, but I let out a small laugh.

"What's so funny, V?"

"I guess I never thought of you as the cuddly type."

"You complaining?"

"No. Just surprised … of the 'pleasantly' variety."

After a few moments, he said softly, "It's just that … when I hold you, it feels like everything … will be okay."

"Everything? Other than you being concerned about your grandma, what's going on?"

"Nothing you need to worry about."

"You'll tell me … when or if I need to worry about it?"

He looked up at me. "Yes."

And there it was. The silent agreement of our relationship in a nutshell: we both did what we needed to do and didn't let the other in on all the details until it was absolutely necessary. We both had complicated lives – even more so, now that we were together. And we both seemed to feel we needed to protect the other from our personal chaos.

The dryer buzzed and he wordlessly got up to get our helmets.

As we rode back to the office for me to get my car, I leaned into his back. I thought about how easy it was to be with him, whether in conversation or silence. Other than my dad, I'm not sure I'd ever felt this comfortable with anyone. No need to prove myself or be something I'm not. No need to put up walls or deflect with attitude or humor.  What I liked most was that he seemed to feel the same way.

When we pulled up in front of dad's office building, he pulled off his helmet.

"You guys are still working that missing person case, right?"

"Well, 'working' would be a strong word. We don't have any leads right now, but yes, it's an open case.  Why?"

"Is he having you work on it at all?"

"Why do you ask?"

"V, just answer me." He wasn't annoyed, just insistent.

"Honestly, I don't know. I'm sure it won't be anything big … after what happened the night I went to the club alone. Why?"

"Just some stuff I've been hearing about the Fitzpatricks. I'd rather you not cross paths with them."

"Me, too."

"Glad to hear that. You start working at Java the Hut soon, right?"

"Why all the questions?"

"V."

"Yes, I start in a few days."

"I'm gonna have one of the guys follow you home, just to be on the safe side."

"I don't think that's necessary."

"At least, when you work at night. Please, don't argue with me about this. I'm too tired to go ten rounds with you."    

"Okay. When I work nights."

"You'll make sure that I have your schedule?" He put an index finger under my chin to make me look at him. "You'll tell me if you see anything or anyone. And if you need help, you call me or Felix right away. Got it?"

I nodded as I said, "Yeah. I will. Any chance you're gonna tell me what's got you so worried?"

"Nothing you need to worry about right now."

"You said that earlier. But after everything you just said, I'm really not supposed to worry?"

"It's probably nothing. Just being cautious.”

A long, passionate kiss put an end to the conversation. He was still sitting on his motorcycle; I was standing next to it, leaning against him.

Placing a kiss just in front of my ear, he whispered, " _Ya te extraño_."

"Me, too." Each time we parted, I missed him the moment we started to say goodbye.

As I started to walk to my car, he said, "I'll follow you."

He didn't need to say it. I already knew that he would be behind me until I got home.

**~*~*~**

Although she had been trying to hide it for a while, Weevil's grandmother was having health problems. He began to notice it about the time the school year was ending. It took him a couple weeks to convince her to go to the doctor. She finally agreed when he reminded her that she had insurance at her new job.

Not long after she lost her job at the Echolls house, she was hired as the newest member of the cleaning staff at Kane Software, where she got better benefits than she expected. Apparently, Lynn didn't feel bad enough to hire her back, but she did give her a glowing recommendation.

With Letty running back and forth to all her doctor appointments and getting tests done, it was no surprise to me that Weevil made a conscious choice to do whatever he could to help out. He and Felix worked out a co-leader arrangement. Essentially, Felix would handle day-to-day PCH business and check in with Weevil, who was now functioning as the head of his household.

He told me he was picking up as many hours as he could at his uncle's auto body shop. It seemed he was busy all the time. Most days, he barely had time for a phone conversation, but we tried to at least talk at bedtime.

**~*~*~**

Dad had insisted that I get a normal job like a normal teenager. I was now putting my fantastic people skills to work as a hostess at Java the Hut.  

Duncan became a regular fixture at The Hut. I tried not to read too much into it, but my gut told me to not be too friendly with him. He broke up with Meg a week or so after school let out. I was surprised when I found out, because they had been dating since the Valentine's dance and things had been going well. Much as I wanted to think it was coincidence that he kept showing up, the fact that he started requesting my section was an undeniable red flag.  

On rare occasions, Weevil stopped by to see me at work. He did not like that Duncan was hanging around. I told him I had no interest in Duncan. He believed me, but he didn't like that Duncan had the free time to see me when he was so busy right now. In fact, he mentioned that Thumper had told him that Duncan was there all the time.

**~*~*~**

Weevil wanted me to have backup until we were finished with the Angela Roman case. Since his schedule was full and he would not always be able to fill that role himself, he delegated to his co-leader Felix. On nights that I went straight home from Java the Hut, Felix delegated the task – usually to Thumper.

Thumper didn't seem too happy about this. At first, he didn't say anything to me, but his body language screamed his displeasure.  One night after work, I found him next to my car.

"Wish I understood why I keep getting stuck with babysitting duty. I've got better things to do."

"I didn't ask for this."

Getting in my face, he said in a menacing tone, "Doesn't seem to matter. Your boyfriend gave an order to keep you  _safe_."

The way he said the word  _safe_ sent a chill down my spine. Not only did he show no interest in keeping me safe, he didn't seem to care if I was safe or not.

Disengaging from his icy stare, I got in my car to drive home. Thumper followed me all the way to my parking space, pulling away after I walked up the stairs.

Once I let myself into the apartment and said a quick 'hello' to Dad, I went back into my bedroom to make a phone call. I considered calling Weevil, but he had delegated the task of watching me to Felix, who was directly responsible for Thumper.

I texted Felix and asked him to call me when he could talk privately.

A few minutes later, he called me. "What's up?"

"Something odd happened tonight."

"What did Thumper do?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Am I wrong?" Felix asked.

"No."

"Tell me what happened."

I explained the brief exchange at my car, stressing that it made me feel anything but safe.

Then, Felix told me that Thumper had been grumbling lately – not just about having to follow me, but also complaining about Weevil's leadership. "I'll deal with it. But he might still be the one following you sometimes. Let me know if there's a problem in the future."

"So, I was right to call you?"

"Yeah. No point bothering Weevil with this right now."

Although I felt a bit better about things, there was something I just couldn't shake. What was going on in the ecosystem of the PCH Bike Club? Why was Felix not surprised that Thumper was the reason I called him? Why didn't he want to bother Weevil right now? I knew why I didn't want to bother him and I wanted to believe that Felix's reason was the same.  

I was going to choose to trust Felix as much as Weevil did. But I was having trouble turning off my inner investigator.

**~*~*~**

At the beginning of the summer, Dad seemed to be okay with the fact that Weevil and I were dating – well, as much as we could date when his schedule was so funtastic and my work schedule conflicted with his free time.

When we were together, we were inseparable. Literally. With Duncan, it wasn't that we didn't ever touch (because we did), but it was a little less intimate and not quite as constant as this. Not complaining. Just saying, it was different.

Although there was less contact when we were at my apartment or the office, apparently Dad noticed the difference, too. He didn't say much about it, but it was clear that he was uncomfortable with my boyfriend showing affection.

We didn't often go out on actual dates and when we did, they were low-budget activities like going to the beach or doing dinner and a movie at his house or mine. Sometimes, we included Wallace and Mac. I think it surprised all three of them how well they got along. When Wallace suggested that we play video games sometime, Weevil nodded with a competitive twinkle in his eyes.

**~*~*~**

Dad had made a little headway on the Angela Roman case, but then, things went cold. He asked me to check in the apartment building across the street from Club Mojo to see if there were any windows in public areas from which I could safely take surveillance photos. When I was there location scouting, a sweet old lady named Myrtle came down the hallway carrying multiple grocery bags. I offered her my assistance and then asked her a few questions about the club and how she felt about it being across from where she lived. She didn't like the noise or the problems that seemed to come with the clientele. Handing her one of Dad's business cards, I explained that I worked for him and that she might see me around taking pictures.  She had always liked my father, thought he was a good man. I think she may have thought he was still Sheriff.

When I told Dad about my visit to the building, I mentioned that the window in the third floor hallway would give us a great view.  

When I told Weevil, he wasn't thrilled. But at least, I should be out of harm's way. He strongly suggested that I park a few blocks away and enter the apartment building from the other side so that no one at the club would see me coming and going while I was watching them coming and going. I told him that I planned to always bring a few groceries for Myrtle so I could claim I was doing errands for her if I needed a cover story.

He stressed that I should only talk to him and Felix about this. No one else. And on nights I was doing surveillance, it would be one of them to follow me.

**~*~*~**

Mac found herself in need of a little bodywork – well, not her, her car. Weevil offered to do it for nearly nothing, but she wanted to return the favor. He had heard me complain that my computer needed a bit of an upgrade. He told Mac if she really wanted to do something for him, she could take care of what I needed.

Since Dad started working as a P.I., I had learned a lot about photography. I'd also exhausted the capabilities of my photo software. Mac found me some new software that was a significant upgrade from what I'd been working with. She even gave me a little guided tour, showing me around its more advanced features. My laptop now possessed mad skills in cleaning up, enhancing, sharpening, and recovering details in my own photos as well as any I might come across in an investigation.  

**~*~*~**

It had been a couple weeks since Thumper had been the one to follow me home from work. As my shift was ending, I checked my phone and found a text message from Felix letting me know that Hector had a family thing to take care of … and unfortunately, Thumper was the only one available on short notice.

I sent a quick reply:  _thanks for letting me know_.

Walking toward my car, I could see he was leaning against the driver's side door. For someone who didn't want to deal with me, he sure had gone out of his way to ensure that we would have to talk.

With one hand holding my keys and the other in the pocket of my messenger bag (on my taser), I approached the car and said casually, "Good evening, Thumper."

"I wouldn't say it's good. I've got better things to do."

"Well, let's get going. Don't want to take up any more of your valuable time."

Although I had hoped this would get him to move, he didn't budge.  

"I guess I can see why Weevil keeps you around. If your reputation is true …" He licked his lips. "How long were you meeting in secret? I didn’t know he was that territorial." He tilted his head and narrowed his gaze. "Must have been really jealous that night he had us follow you to that club … because you went out looking … the way you did.  Probably looking to find some company. I get it. You have needs." He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear as he whispered a few inches from my face, "If you're that unsatisfied … if Weevil can't meet your needs …"

My eyes went wide as he let the unfinished indecent proposal hang between us. I heard someone coming out the back door. It was the owner.  

"Veronica, what are you still doing here? I thought everyone was gone." Then, he seemed to notice the situation. "Everything alright?"

"I was just getting in my car to head home." I gave a pointed look at Thumper, who finally moved to the side to let me get in my car. "Goodnight, Travis," I said, waving to him as I opened the door.

Thumper prevented me from shutting my door as he said, "Don't bother telling Weevil about this. He won't believe you. But I've told him plenty about Duncan and the others who come sniffing around when you're working. That's probably the real reason he has us watching you. Can't trust a whore like you."

During the drive home, I called Felix and put my phone on speaker.

Before the first ring even finished, he answered. "Hey, Veronica."

"You told me to let you know if there was another problem."

"Where are you now?"

"On the way home. He's behind me."

"What happened?"

After giving him the short version, I asked, "Any chance you can meet me at my apartment building? I don't want to be alone with him again."

He said he’d be there in ten minutes. I tried to time my drive to get there at the same time. Looking around the parking lot as I pulled in, I didn't see him. So, I pretended to be doing something in my car until I saw Felix pull up next to Thumper.

Getting out of my car, I walked toward them.  "I get two guardians tonight?"

"No. Just needed to talk to you," Felix's tone implied that I was in trouble about something. He turned to Thumper, nodding to dismiss him.

Felix took me by the elbow and led me up the stairs toward my apartment. When we could no longer hear Thumper's bike, he released his hold on my arm. His concern was obvious when he spoke.  

"Can we talk inside?"

Unlocking the door, I said, "Yeah. Sure."

Dropping my things just inside the door, I walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water. After I offered him something, we sat down in the living room.

He looked me in the eye and said, "Now, tell me again. And don't leave anything out."

When I had finished, he looked at the ground and shook his head. "You need to tell him."

"We've talked about it. He knows I'm not encouraging anything. He knows about Duncan and Logan coming in. I'm not sure who else Thumper was talking about, unless he was implying something about Wallace."

"Not what I meant. You need to tell Weevil about this stuff with Thumper." He looked up at me. "I've told him what Thumper's been saying to me, but he needs the big picture. Thumper's becoming a problem for all of us."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'll let him tell you," he said as he pulled out his phone. He paced over by the front door while he made the call. "Hey. Need to meet … yeah, soon as you can … no, man, not there. Veronica's." He turned to face me as he listened to Weevil's response. "You need to hear this in person … yeah, okay." As he closed his phone, he walked over to sit down again. "He'll be here in about twenty minutes."

Pointing at the remote on the table, I said, "Watch whatever you want. I'm gonna go take a shower and change."

As I closed the door to my bedroom, I heard the tv turn on. I was dreading the upcoming conversation. Even a shower couldn't relieve the stress I felt. But at least I didn't smell like work and my clothes were more comfortable.

I opened my bedroom door and walked out to the living room just as Weevil knocked on the front door. Felix turned off the tv and moved from the couch to the chair. When Weevil stepped in, he gave me a hug and shot a look at Felix.

Walking over to the couch, he said, "Which one of you is gonna tell me what's going on?"

I sat down next to him on the couch as I looked at Felix, who indicated that I should start. Sighing, I looked down at my hands. "I didn't want to bother you with this. So the first time, I called Felix to let him know. But when I called him tonight, he said it was time to tell you."

"One of you better tell me. Now."

"I'm trying to. This isn't easy for me." I tried to tell him how Thumper had made me feel, while dancing around what he had actually said. I could see him glancing over at Felix, as if he knew I was leaving things out.

Felix prompted me to add a few things that he thought Weevil should know.

Weevil was predictably upset. "This just happened?"

"Less than an hour ago," I replied.

The two of them just stared at each other – like they were communicating telepathically.

Finally, Weevil spoke. "He's clearly trying to drive a wedge between the three of us. I'm just not sure why."

"Obviously, I'm missing something. Am I allowed to ask?" I looked back and forth between them.

"He's been running his mouth to me about you."

"You mentioned that he said something a while—" I started.

"It wasn't a one-time thing," Weevil cut me off. "And he's been telling me that he thought is was a mistake to put Felix in charge."

"And telling _me_ that he didn't think Weevil could handle being our leader anymore," Felix finished.

"So this wasn't just about intimidating me … or propositioning me." Seeing both of them nod, I added, "I'm not sure if that's better or worse."

"I'm not sure either," said Weevil.

"The good thing is that we’ve been talking to each other. His plan didn't work," Felix said.

"But maybe we don't want to let him know that just yet," Weevil said.

"You don't mean that you're putting him back on …" I started to ask.

Taking my hand, Weevil shook his head. "No. Tonight was a last minute switch. Probably why he stepped it up, took advantage of the opportunity." He looked over at Felix as he continued, "But that doesn't mean that he won't be watching you, hoping he'll see something he can use."

Weevil leaned over to place a kiss at my temple. "I'm gonna walk out with him. I'll be right back."

"Okay." Turning to Felix, I said, "Thank you. For tonight, for … everything."

"No problem." His reply was punctuated with a chin lift.

A few minutes later, Weevil was back at my side on the couch.

"Until we figure out what Thumper's up to, we need to let him think he's winning whatever game he’s playing. We're gonna need to find someplace we can meet without him knowing. If you think of anyplace, let me know."

As I leaned into him, he put his arm around me. I was glad to have some time alone with him, but I didn't like that it took a situation like tonight to make that happen.

"I should have asked earlier, but are you okay?"

"I've been harassed before, had my reputation thrown in my face, but not like that."

After a few minutes of silence, he said, "I know you're gonna want to try to solve this puzzle, but I need you to just …try to stay out of it. It's safer for you that way. But if you see something we need to know about, tell one of us. Right away. And no matter what you see and hear, I promise you that the three of us are on the same side. Got it?"

Even though I didn't like what he was telling me, I understood his reasoning.  

He stayed for another half hour before we finally kissed goodnight at the door. With his forehead against mine, he whispered, " _Que tengas dulces sueños_ ," before leaving.

**~*~*~**

Almost immediately after Aaron Echolls was arrested, Dad was in demand for interviews and had an offer for a book deal. Apparently, the same people who were so eager to read about how he allegedly screwed up the original investigation were now equally eager to set aside their false assumptions and read about how he had solved the Lilly Kane murder. He had been on the fence about doing the book for a few reasons, but it could help in any number of ways – pay for college or get nicer office space or we could move into a house with a yard again. The list of possibilities seemed endless.

At first, he only agreed to interviews that were vague on the details of how he solved the case. The discussion focused on him being ousted and the fact that when Koontz was arrested, he did not believe they had the right man. The obvious spin was: Compelled partly by a desire for justice, but partly by a need to know if he was right, he had continued until he uncovered the truth.

Dad did finally decide to work on the book with a crime reporter from San Diego.  He provided all the information to the reporter and read the later drafts to make sure he was comfortable attaching his name to the project.

During the process, the reporter suggested that maybe one of the chapters should be from my point of view. In the end, we decided against it. Dad felt that it was enough that my name was in the articles about Aaron's arrest. This was likely to follow me around the rest of my life. If I contributed to the book, it would further ensure that Lilly's murder was the top result when my name was typed into any search engine.

The book's publication was a rush job, in order to capitalize on the media hype. With Dad's book tour was quickly approaching, I could tell that he was less happy about time that I spent with Weevil. Or should I say, the time I would be able to spend with Weevil when Dad would be doing out of town interviews. I shouldn't have been surprised that when he negotiated his contract, it included a paid internship for me. It was a thinly veiled attempt at putting some space between Weevil and me. Basically, I would be travelling as Dad's assistant. His explanation: I would be doing many of the same things I normally did for him and we'd have built in daddy-daughter time.

**~*~*~**

There was an upcoming weekend trip to do signings at a few bookstores in Boston. Although it meant he wouldn't be with me on my birthday, Dad decided to take Alicia with him. They would be leaving that Thursday and return late Sunday. He and I would indulge in pre-birthday festivities the day before they left.

That Wednesday night, we had a very special daddy-daughter night. We went to Luigi's, where he accused me of eating my weight in manicotti. Then, we walked along the boardwalk, played a few games, and listened to live music by a local singer-songwriter.

Our last stop of the night was a local diner to have waffles and ice cream, rather than birthday cake. While we were there, he gave me a gift and a card with a long sappy handwritten note. I could not help but cry as I opened the small gift box. It was a ring that matched the necklace Lilly had given me. It was the perfect gift to symbolize the closure I felt. Every time I saw it on my hand, it would remind me that we had solved Lilly's murder and also that my dad and I made a pretty terrific team.

During the drive home, it occurred to me that he had not brought up Weevil at all during the evening. If I were paranoid, I'd say he had intentionally omitted any reference to my boyfriend from our daddy-daughter birthday extravaganza. I didn't mind the reminder that Dad would always hold the title of First Man I Ever Loved, but it concerned me that he might have a problem with Weevil, even if he wasn't coming right out and saying it.

As wonderful as my night out with Dad was, my official birthday had not happened yet. I assumed I would see Mac and Wallace at some point, but we had no definite plans. And I had no idea what Weevil had planned, but he told me to take Saturday off.

I doubted that I’d be getting my long-wished-for pony.  But there would be more gifts, more food, and more fun.  Of this I was certain: it would be better than last year.

* * *

_Entiendo lo que están diciendo_. = I understand what you're saying

_Ya te extraño_. = I miss you already

_Que tengas dulces sueños_. = sweet dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regarding occasional use of Spanish dialogue: Although I know some Spanish, I am far from fluent. I am relying on a friend to help me. With her help, I am trying to word things the way I think each character would. 
> 
> Translations will be at the end of each chapter. I welcome feedback from those of you who speak Spanish.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 continues a modified version of the summer months that were covered in #2.1 "Normal Is the Watchword"

Before dinnertime that Thursday, Dad and Alicia left for their trip. I didn't get home until after he left for the airport. The note on the kitchen counter reminded me to enjoy my birthday, but not too much. There was a lighthearted warning about punishment if the apartment got trashed in his absence.

I hadn't even made it back to my bedroom to change clothes when there was a knock at the door. As I opened it, Wallace began drumming on the doorframe and the two of them sang: "You say it's your birthday …" Mac was holding a box from a bakery and there were gifts sitting at their feet.

"Wow! You certainly know how to make a girl feel appreciated when her dad deserts her on her birthday."

As Mac barged in and put the cake on the counter, Wallace picked up the gifts.  

"We ordered pizza. It's on the way. We can do gifts while we're waiting, but cake happens after pizza." Mac had apparently taken the role of leader for the evening.

Excitedly clapping my hands in front of my chest, I said, "Oo! Presents!" Bounding over to the couch as Wallace carried the gifts to the small trunk that served as our coffee table, I landed in the middle of the couch. Pointing my finger back and forth between the gifts, I said, "Which one should I open first?"

Tapping my finger on my bottom lip while I considered my options, I picked up a medium sized cobalt blue gift bag that felt incredibly light for its size. Pulling out sparkly tissue paper, I found two envelopes inside. One held a gift certificate from Mac for 10 hours of computer work which was specified as "repairs and upgrades, not tech support that would fall under the heading of favors." The other envelope was a gift certificate for a nearby movie theater. There was a note that said I was required to use it for a night out with her.

After thanking her and giving her a hug, I added, "I love the idea of a girls' night – the first of many."

 Then, I tore the wrapping paper off the box from Wallace. Opening the lid, I found several of my favorite comedies on VHS, including the South Park movie.

Wallace babbled enthusiastically about his gift. "Now that everyone is switching to DVD, VHS tapes are super cheap. So I opted for quantity. I've been collecting these for months. Now, you won't have to rent your favorites anymore when you want to see them."

"Very thoughtful. And practical.”  Looking through the titles had been lovingly collected, I said, “My BFF knows me so well.”

A few minutes later, the pizza arrived. Wallace picked out one of the movies to put in while we ate. Trying to swallow food and soda doesn't work well when laughing. But we managed to get through it without choking or spitting.

While we were still watching the movie, I heard my phone ringing in my bag.  When I pulled it out, I saw Weevil’s name on the screen.

"Hey, there."

"Happy birthday, baby." Weevil said in a low, sexy voice.

"Well, not ‘til after midnight."

Wallace and Mac laughing hysterically at the antics on the tv screen. They were loud enough that I got up to walk to my bedroom so I could hear him.

"Who's there? Felix said you had visitors."

"Is that why you're calling? To find out who I'm spending time with?" I was teasing him and he knew it.

"I'm going to assume Mac and Wallace. You don't have that many friends."

"Ouch. That's a mean thing to say to your girlfriend."

"Truth hurts, babe. Your social circle is small. But I don't mind. Means I don't have to compete for your attention."

"All you have to do is ask … and I'm all yours," I said flirtatiously.

We talked for a few more minutes. After ending the call, I immediately called Felix to invite him up for cake.

I walked back out to the living room to tell Mac and Wallace that we were going to have another guest. Then, I texted Dad to tell him that friends had dropped by with cake and presents. That way when the neighbors told him, it would not come as a surprise. I was trying to be as open with him as I could. I didn't want to give him any reason to not trust me, not when I was still mildly concerned about how he felt about Weevil and I dating. Although it might seem silly to tell him about stuff like this, it was preemptive transparency.

**~*~*~**

Mac and Wallace had left after midnight – they wanted to be the first ones to wish me happy birthday on the actual day and so they stuck around to sing to me. A couple minutes after they left, I got a text from Weevil. And an hour later, one from my dad – although I was asleep when it came through. I didn't see it until my alarm went off in the morning and I pried my eyes open to get to The Hut before opening.

I was working the early shift on my birthday for the same reason that I had off the next day – Weevil had asked me to request that schedule. But he was being secretive about the plans he was making.  Curiosity kept pulling my focus throughout my workday. ~~~~

Although I was intentional about making sure that Duncan understood how I felt about Weevil – and did not feel about him – he either didn't get the message or chose to disregard it. When he came in on this particular day, he left a gift for me, which I found when I cleared his table. It was a fortune cookie with the following message: True Love Stories Never Have Endings.

He had seen Weevil and I together the night of Aaron's arrest, but that was also the same night I told him that I was not his sister. His "blessing" of our relationship the following Monday may have been his mouth getting ahead of his brain's ability to process what was happening in his heart. Because it seemed like he was trying to let me know he was interested in getting back together.

Shortly after finding the gift from Duncan, Weevil walked in.

"Hey there, beautiful," he said before kissing me. "Just wanted to drop by and check that there weren't any last-minute changes to your work schedule."

"Nope. All good. But I am getting really curious." I gave him my best head tilt and pout – and nothing. "Really, no hints? Still?"

He shook his head and smiled. "Just meet me at your apartment and I'll tell you what I have planned for tomorrow." He kissed me again. "See you in about an hour."

**~*~**

When I arrived home around 5:30 pm, Weevil was waiting by my door. I hadn't seen his motorcycle in the parking lot, but I wasn't surprised to see him there. As I got closer, I could see a few bags sitting on the ground near him.  

Once we were inside the apartment, he began unloading containers of food. Letty had made us dinner, which he would now reheat while I changed into comfy clothes.

While we ate, he gave me some – but not much – information about the plan for tomorrow.  Cryptically, he told me just enough to help me decide what to wear and what to take with me.

Hearing even his brief explanation, it sounded wonderful, but it was too much. I put down my fork and said, "I thought we agreed that you needed to save your money … that we were staying in for date nights all summer."

"I have been. And I will. But I … made a little extra on the side."

"Nothing illegal, I hope."

"No. Extra hours and frugal saving."

That response satisfied my need for assurance, but also piqued my curiosity.

He must have seen that on my face, because he deftly steered the conversation where he wanted it. He explained that he planned to sleep on the couch and we would leave after breakfast.  "Mac is going to come by tomorrow to be on puppy watching and walking duty. As a favor to me. She wants to get on my good side, wants to start a business with me."

"Huh?"

"The kid I did the repairs for wrecked his dad's car while his parents were out of town. Obviously, he didn't want his dad to know, so we had to make arrangements – you'll find out tomorrow. Part of the surprise. Anyway, Mac figures there are plenty of 09ers with chores they don't want to do, cars to fix, clean up after parties … things they'd rather their parents not know about. Or non-09ers may want to barter. She bought a domain name and wants me to be part of her grand plan."

"And the name of this plan for world domination?"

"NeptuneTradingPost..com"

"It's got a nice ring to it. She tried to get me to go into business with her last year. I turned her down."

"She mentioned that."

**~*~**

After we finished eating, he took Backup for a walk while I cleaned up the kitchen. Then, as I packed a few things for the next day, he leaned against the wall watching me. I pulled a few things from my messenger bag and put them on my desk. The box that Duncan had left for me was one of those things. I was having an internal debate about telling Weevil when I heard him clear his throat.

"Saw Duncan leaving The Hut as I was coming in earlier. Any particular reason he was there? Or just his normal daily visit?"

"Well, he is there most days." I hesitated before I continued, "But he remembered it was my birthday."

"He brought you a gift?" Weevil gestured at the small box on my desk.

"He left it on the table.” ~~~~

"Small box … usually means jewelry."

"No. Not jewelry. Custom fortune cookie." Seeing his confusion, I said, "He could have just written a note, but he chose to do it that way."

"And it said …"

I shook my head. "Doesn't matter."

"You sure about that?"

"I'm sure he would like it to matter to me. But it doesn't." I walked over to where he stood. Placing my hands on the sides of his head, I looked him in the eye. "I'm not her."

He sighed. "I know. I know." Pulling me into his arms, he added, "I also know there are things I can't give you. And that I don't deserve you."

"Let me be clear. I have no interest in Duncan. I chose to be with you and I don't regret that choice for one second. Got that?"

The smile that spread across his face made my heart soar.

Taking him by the hand, I led him to the couch and turned on the tv. I don't remember seeing much of the movie we were "watching" – partly because we made out for a while, partly because I fell asleep in his arms. He must have carried me to bed. I woke up briefly when he tucked me in and kissed me on the forehead.

Reaching for his hand, I asked him to climb into bed with me. When he said no, I asked why.

He replied, "Because when one of your neighbors tells your dad I was here and he asks about it, I can honestly say that I slept on the couch while you were snug in your bed."

**~*~*~**

Weevil woke me just after 7 a.m. and told me to hop in the shower while he made breakfast. When I came out in my robe, he had everything on the table. It took me longer to eat, because I kept asking questions about what we'd be doing. I was still eating when he went into the hall bathroom to take his shower.

Mac arrived and we chatted for a few minutes before she noticed his bag beside the chair.  Mac looked at me with eyes, “He’s here?”

As I nodded, her mouth went wide in exaggerated shock.

"What?" I asked. "He slept on the couch."

"Where did you sleep? And what happened before you both slept?" Her tone dripping with insinuation.

Avoiding the question, I shooed Mac and Backup out the door. "I need to finish getting ready." After all, I was still wearing my robe – only my robe.

"Have fun today, birthday girl!" Mac's words came from the other side of the door.

Turning my back to her voice, I walked down the hallway. Just before crossing the threshold to my bedroom, the bathroom door opened and a hand intercepted me.

Now in his arms, I intended to give him a brief kiss, but he had other things in mind – namely a deeper kiss followed by his lips drifting down my neck to my collarbone, as he slid the robe to the side to expose my shoulder. His index finger traced the edge of the fabric from my shoulder all the way down my sternum. Suddenly, his finger stopped and his eyes locked on mine.  

He smelled too good, looked too good, and felt too good right now. In that moment, the struggle against temptation was real. The knot of the terry cloth belt had loosened and my robe threatened to slip open. I cleared my throat and began to close the front of my robe, wrapping it around myself.

As he reached down to tighten the belt around my waist, he said, "You should hurry up. We need to get going."

"You're the one that—"

"Guilty as charged. And sadly, we don't have time for thorough follow-through," his voice intimating his desire.

The way he said the word “thorough” put my nervous system on notice.

Just as I was about to close my bedroom door, he asked, "Out of curiosity … do you have  _anything_  on under there?"

I smiled and tilted my head. " _No llevo ropa interior_." As I slowly closed the door, I bit my lip and held his gaze.

"You're killing me here, V."

I laughed – at his comment, at the situation, at the joy I felt with him near, at so many things. It was not lost on me that I held a certain amount of control over someone who was used to being the one in control. I was also aware of the fact that I felt no need to lock my door as I got dressed.

He had said to dress up for our lunch. Judging by his shirt and dress slacks, he meant it. I chose a cute dress that fell just below the knee and strappy sandals with a kitten heel. 

When I was finished applying my makeup, I decided what I thought I might need later and packed it in the bag I was taking. I grabbed a light jacket from my closet – something that looked good with my dress, but would work with jeans later in the day. Turning around to pick up my bag, I saw that Weevil already had it in his hand.

Mac and Backup got back from their walk just before we left. I gave her a spare key so she could come and go while we were gone. Weevil carried our bags down to my car and put them in the backseat. Then, he opened the passenger door for me.

We drove toward the coast, specifically to Dana Point Harbour. When we pulled up to the gate at the marina, I turned to Weevil, wanting to know what we were doing there.

He smiled and shook his head, as if to say he wouldn't answer whatever I was about to ask. The man at the gate asked for his name.

"Eli Navarro. I'm a guest of—"

"Yes, sir. He got here just ahead of you. Here's your guest pass and parking permit. The slip number is right there. Park anywhere marked 'guest.' Any questions?"

"No. Thank you."

"My pleasure. Have a nice day."

It didn't take long to find a parking spot. Then, we walked to the slip number on the guest pass. When we got there, I heard a familiar voice call out from the deck of the yacht.

"Looks like you didn't have any trouble finding your way."

Luke Haldeman? I shot a sideways glance at Weevil, who wordlessly shrugged.

Luke helped us with the bags and showed us around. There were four staterooms, kitchen, dining room, lounge, and deck with jacuzzi. He introduced us to the captain, Joe, and the chef, Tabitha.

While the four of them confirmed the plan for today, I wandered around. I had been on yachts before. Duncan had been sailing his entire life and most of the 09er crowd had access to a boat or two. I enjoyed being out on the water, but it wasn't something I would want to do very often.  

I stood at the railing, looking out to where the blue sky met the blue water. I couldn't help but wonder if Weevil felt that I was expecting him to shell out money on dates like this. Surely, he knew that he didn't need to try to impress me.

As I felt the yacht begin to pull away from the dock, Weevil came up behind me – his arms around my waist, his chest against my back, his lips on my shoulder.

"I was just admiring the view," I said.

"So was I."

After a few minutes of him whispering sweet nothings in my ear, we were interrupted by Tabitha. She asked if we were ready to eat lunch. Weevil looked at me for a response. When I nodded, she showed us to the dining room.

The table was already set. There was a basket of bread near one corner. After Tabitha poured water into our glasses, she hurried to the kitchen, returning with our salads. She seemed prepared to hover, in the event that we wanted something.

I could see that it was making Weevil jumpy. Turning to Tabitha, I said, "Why don't you bring the rest of the food out now. We'll call up if we need anything, but I don't think we will."

She seemed hesitant as she replied, "Well, if you're sure. Let me know when you're finished and I'll come back to clean up."

Once we were alone, I asked, "How exactly did you swing this?"

He explained, "Right after school let out, Luke wrecked his car – street racing, I think. His parents were away. He didn't want to go to his dad's regular mechanic, because he'd find out. He came to me and asked if I could do a rush job. But he barely had enough to cover the repairs. I had been trying to figure out what I was going to do for your birthday. A couple conversations later, I get a day on this boat as a bonus for fixing his car before his parents got home."

Even though we talked on the phone most days, there were plenty of things to catch up on. With both of us so busy this summer, there were things we had missed in each other's everyday lives. He told me about the extra work he had been doing and how grateful his grandma was for his help. I told him about the people I met on the first couple stops of Dad's book tour and how much he seemed to enjoy having me with him.

When we finished eating, I called Tabitha on the intercom.

Not more than two minutes later, she walked in and said, “If there’s anything you need, let me know.  That’s why we’re here.” ~~~~

We left her to clear the table. Weevil took my hand and pulled me into the stateroom where he had left our bags.

"I know we didn't really need to dress up to eat lunch, but seeing you in this dress, I'm glad I suggested it."

"You look rather handsome, yourself." After we kissed, I asked, "What else did you have planned for today?"

He must have noticed me glancing at the bed, because he said, "Taking advantage of … the sunshine." He raised an eyebrow, implying that I may have expected him to say something else. "Time to change into your swimsuit. I'll take my stuff in another room and give you some privacy. Meet me outside?"

I nodded as he stepped through the door, pulling it closed.

As I changed out of my dress, I realized that Weevil had never seen me in a bikini before. I was suddenly self-conscious and glad that I had brought a coverup. Lot of good that would do me in the jacuzzi, though.

When I got to the glass door that opened out onto the deck, I stood for a moment looking at Weevil. He was wearing swim trunks and a sleeveless t-shirt. I realized that I hadn't seen all of his tattoos and that he had chosen to cover up as well. Rarely had I seen him with his shirt off and when I did, we were in dim lighting.

I slid the door open and stepped outside. He turned to face me and swallowed nervously. It seemed unbelievable to me that I could make him nervous.

Holding up a bottle of sunscreen, I asked if he could help put it on. What I meant was for him to help with the part of my back that I couldn't reach, but he misinterpreted my words. Although I had not intended to ask for a sensual massage, that's what I got. The air between us nearly crackled. It would have been so easy to continue down that road, but we both disengaged.

He quickly applied lotion to his own legs before I could suggest that I return the favor. When I did offer, he removed his shirt and laid himself back on the chaise lounge. I started with his head, moving down to his shoulders and arms, then his chest. As I went, I traced each word and design, taking them all in. When I asked him to turn over so I could do his back, he hesitated.

"I need to tell you something, Veronica." He inhaled slowly before saying, "You know about me and Lilly. You know about the letters and stuff. But …"

While he paused to find the words, I placed a hand on his knee and waited.

"A year after she … I …" He rubbed his hands over his face and head.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"Can I? Can I tell you anything? There's nothing that would upset you or make you run?"

"That's what you're worried about? I can't promise I won't ever get upset, but I can't imagine it would make me run."

"I hope not." He glanced to the side and then back at me. "I had her name tattooed …"

Stroking the side of his face with my hand, I kissed him and said gently, "Show me."

He swung his legs off the opposite side of the lounge chair and sat with his back toward me. His elbows rested on his knees and he waited for my reaction. I scooted toward the left side of his back to get a good look at it. With my index finger, I gave the heart and lettering the same attention I had given his other body art.

After I had covered his back in SPF 60, I curled myself around to face him, sliding in front of his body, coming to rest in his lap. I held his face in my hands and searched for the words to say. Finding none, I tried to communicate with my eyes and through my touch the reassurance I could not verbally express.

He hesitated before asking, "We're okay?"

"We both had lives before we got together. There are gonna be reminders of our old lives – Lilly's name on your body, my ex hanging around."

"That's the thing. I don't like seeing him around so often."

"I'm not in love with Duncan. So you shouldn’t waste any time worrying about him."

He studied me for a moment. Then, he took me by the hand and silently led me to the jacuzzi. At first, we were on opposite sides, just enjoying the relaxation. But soon, he moved toward me with a familiar look in his eyes. He pulled me toward him and spun around, bringing me into his lap.

Considering what had preceded this moment, I would have expected the kiss to be filled with urgency, but it wasn't. Our lips slowly danced with each other. The pauses between contact – when our lips would break apart – held more intensity than the contact itself.

When we climbed out of the jacuzzi, he picked up a towel from the pile. I reached for it, but he shook his head. With his eyes fixed on mine, he proceeded to towel dry every inch of my body. If he was trying to seduce me, this was some seriously hot foreplay.

After he dried himself off quickly, he took my hand and led me over to a double-wide chaise. I'm not sure how long we lay there holding one another. But it was one of those times you don't want to end, one of those moments that lives in your memory as perfection.

My head was resting on his chest, my arm draped across his abs. His lips kissed my forehead, causing me to look up at his face.

"Wanna get out of the sun for a while?" Weevil asked.

"I wouldn't mind taking a shower." Seeing his eyes go wide, I smacked him playfully. "To get the sunscreen and chemicals off my skin."

With that, he stood and extended a hand to me. We each went back into the rooms where we had changed. He took a shower, but was much faster than I was.  After my shower, I came out into the bedroom to get something from my bag and found him resting on the bed.  

He opened his eyes to find me staring at him. "Like what you see?"

Smiling and tilting my head, I responded, "I think you know the answer to that."

He took a moment to look at me before saying, "You looked beautiful in the dress. And delicious in the bikini. But this … just a t-shirt and jeans … still not gonna be able to keep my hands off you." He reached for one of my hips. When I moved quickly enough to avoid his grasp, he gave me a sultry look and said, "Be a good girl and come here."

"Or what?"

"Or this bad boy will come over there. Either way, these hands are going on that body."

Just as I took one step toward him, he stood and reached out to grab me. Pulling me onto the bed with him, we playfully fought for control. For a while, I let him have the advantage. Then, I rolled him onto his back as I straddled him. I must have moved my pelvis one too many times, because he brought both his hands to my hips to still them.

The past few minutes – plus everything else this afternoon – had me tingling in all the right places. And I was remembering how much sensation he had stirred in me the night at the club.

No doubt, I was playing with fire, but I flirted anyway. "Are you telling me you haven't thought about this? That you didn't bring a condom with you … just in case?"

He closed his eyes briefly and shook his head. "Of course, I've thought about … how could I not? And it's smart to be prepared. But sex is not on the agenda for today."

I had to admit that I was a bit disappointed. He must have sensed it. Rolling us over to our sides and putting a little space between us, he stroked the side of my face and tenderly kissed me.

"I meant it when I told you I'm not in a hurry." Lightening his tone, he continued, "Besides … if we had sex here today and left behind any evidence, I doubt that Luke would hesitate to spread fresh rumors about you. Not gonna let that happen."

"That's sweet. But you realize that people probably assume that we've already slept together?"

He shrugged. "I just hope that your father is not one of those people." He kissed me again before he stood up. "I'm gonna go see if I can find some snacks and drinks. Come find me when you're ready?"

While I reapplied my makeup and pulled my hair off my face, I had a little chat with myself in the mirror. The topic: sex and my desire for it. That night at Club Mojo, he awoke something in me, that's for sure. I couldn't help but ask myself: if he could do that with his fingers, then what would it feel like when we finally had sex? Oddly, the guy seemed to be the one with all the willpower right now. Although if I had to guess, it had a lot to do with “the understanding” he had with my dad.

When I was finished, I carried my bag out into the lounge area, setting it down next to Weevil's. I was about to go looking for him when he came from the kitchen with food and drinks.

There was a deck of cards on the coffee table. While we ate our snack, he taught me to play a game called Conquian, an early version of rummy. It's his grandma's favorite card game. He figured I should know how to play if I'm going to be hanging around their house. He also admitted he needed something to do with his hands – or he'd be tempted to attack me.

As I got more comfortable with the rules of the game, I started to make conversation. Specifically, I began to ask him questions about how his grandma was doing and what the doctors had been able to find out. He had not been telling me that much the past few weeks. Right now, he seemed relaxed enough to open up and answer my questions. The information came in dribs and drabs, but it came.

After her family doctor ran several tests, he was no closer to a diagnosis than her first appointment. Letty's blood pressure, which had been on the high end of normal for years, was now high enough for an official diagnosis of hypertension. However, even after modifying her diet and taking the medication her doctor prescribed, her BP was not lower. Other symptoms persisted as well – muscle and joint pain, headaches, and issues with short-term memory. Her primary care physician referred her to a couple specialists, hoping she would be able to get a diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Tabitha came down to check on us and to tell us that we were about an hour from the marina. She seemed surprised to find us fully clothed, playing cards. Noticing the chips and fruit on the coffee table, she said, "I see you found something to eat. If you'd like something more substantial, I can fix you some sandwiches. I was about to make some for us."

Weevil looked at me before he said to her, "Well, if it's no trouble …"

"It's not," she replied.

"In that case, yeah. Thanks."

She came back holding a tray with four different sandwiches and let us take our pick. Then, she went up to eat with Joe.

The sun was setting as we entered the marina. We stood on the deck and watched the sky turn from one shade to another. It was the perfect end to a wonderful day. Or so I thought. Then, Weevil reminded me that the day wasn't over yet.

As we were preparing to leave, we thanked Joe and Tabitha, who in turn thanked us for such a lazy day of work. Apparently, we’re not as demanding as their usual passengers.

Only after we had left the parking lot did he tell me about the next stop on the grand birthday tour. We drove to a nearby restaurant that had pool tables and games, including vintage pinball machines. We stayed there for a few hours, laughing and flirting as we played.

Neither of us wanted the day to end, but we knew that it had to. We both had to work the next day. Plus, he wanted to get home in case Letty needed anything. After delaying departure for "one more game" a couple of times, we finally got in the car to go home.

**~*~**

It was just after 11 p.m. when Weevil pulled into the parking lot of my apartment building. Although Dad should not be home until sometime the next day, we both knew we should say goodnight at the door.

When I put my hand on the doorknob, I had no desire to say goodbye. We stood there for a moment staring at one another. There was nothing that needed to be said; we had said plenty during the day.

He dropped my bag and reached for me. I took my hand off the knob and put my arms around him. We gently kissed at a slow, lazy pace – as if we had nowhere else to be, nothing more important to be doing. There was no reason to rush, but every reason to linger and enjoy.

As he almost always did when a kiss ended, he pressed his forehead to mine as he placed his hand on my jaw, fingers wrapping around into my hair and thumb resting just in front of my ear. I could have stayed there for days – leaning into him, breathing him in.

Just as he leaned back enough to place a kiss on my forehead, the door opened. We were greeted by a voice saying, "You're home."

Simultaneously, we jumped apart. Both of us had expected to hear Mac's voice. She had been watching Backup and she was Weevil's ride home. But it was not Mac who met us at the door.

"No need to stand out there. Come on inside," Dad said with a flourish, directing us into the living room.

Deciding that I would set the tone in order to put Weevil at ease, I greeted Dad with a smile and a hug. "You're home early. Did something happen?"

"Darrell fell off his bike and broke his collarbone. Alicia wanted to get back ASAP. A neighbor took him to the ER. By the time we got to the airport, Wallace called to tell her they were home and Darrell was doing great. But she wanted to get home to check on him, so we still left early." He rattled all that off while eyeing us both and glancing at our bags. "Enough about me. Mac said you had big plans. Tell me about your day. Or should I say two days. Mrs. Collins next door mentioned that someone spent the night." Pointing at Weevil's bag, Dad asked, "Overnight bag?"

"If you're asking if I spent the night here … yes, sir. We had dinner here last night when Veronica got off work and we needed to leave this morning for her birthday surprise. I was out here on the couch."

Dad gave Weevil his best Sheriff stare. "Is that so?"

Weevil held his gaze. "I think what you're really asking is: have I had sex with your daughter?" He paused and let the words hang in the air between them. "The answer is no."

My father relaxed noticeably, but did not respond.

I broke the silence. "Do you want to hear about my birthday outing? We had such a good time. Weevil did some work on a classmate's car and parlayed that into a special day for me. Gourmet lunch on a boat. Afternoon in the sun. This evening, we played pool and pinball at a restaurant in Dana Point."

Dad nodded at Weevil. "Sounds like you had a nice day."

"Well, I guess since you sent Mac home, I'll need to give Weevil a ride. Safe to leave the two of you alone while I use the bathroom?"  

When I returned to the living room, I was concerned what I would find, but they were talking about baseball. Apparently, I had nothing to worry about.

As he drove my car to his house, he held my hand most of the time. I was not a bit sad that our evening got extended. But I was not looking forward to saying goodnight for a second time.

Pulling up in front of his house, he slowly put the car in park and turned it off. It seemed that he was no more eager for our day to end than I was. He walked around to open the passenger door for me. When he closed it, he leaned against the side of the car and pulled me toward him.

As he held me, he asked, "So … did you have a happy birthday?"

"Mm-hmm." I kissed him before saying, "Thank you for today. It was lovely, but the best part was just spending time alone with you." I looked him in the eye. "I hope you know you didn't have to. I don't need or expect that kind of thing."

"No, but you deserve it. You're gonna have to let me spoil you once in a while."

" _Once_  in a while."

It came as no surprise that he got on his bike and shadowed me the entire drive home. He gave me a brief wave as I walked to the stairs. I don't think either of us could have handled a third goodnight kiss.

* * *

_No llevo ropa interior_. = I'm not wearing underwear


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 continues a modified version of the summer months that were covered in #2.1 "Normal Is the Watchword"

As the summer progressed towards its inevitable end, Dad began to get more comfortable with the idea of Weevil and I as a couple, mostly because he ended up overhearing lots of phone conversations while we were out of town. However, I'm fairly certain the turning point was the night we got back from my birthday surprise. Looking my dad in the face and telling him that we hadn't had sex was a bold move, but I think Dad appreciated the direct approach.

After that, he occasionally included Weevil in our family dinners when we were at home. Dad was making an effort to get to know him and I appreciated that.

Something else I appreciated was the fact that the manager at Java the Hut offered to let me work when I was home between book tour events. She was eager to have me continue working when school started. It made Dad happy that my part-time job would be more normal than last school year.

**~*~*~**

One night, Weevil was more contemplative than I'd ever seen him. Our conversation skirted around what kind of future we had together, with sprinkled moments of unspoken wondering. Would Neptune leave us in peace or tear us apart?

The time we had been able to spend together this summer – not to mention our many emails and phone calls – had been wonderful. When we had time to spend together, we mostly kept to ourselves. Sometimes, we did a movie night with my dad or with Wallace and Mac. Dinners with my dad or his grandma. I saw Felix or one of the other guys for a few minutes on nights I worked late. However, Weevil and I did not socialize much outside that small circle.

As we talked that night in mid-August, what we said (as much as what we didn't say) highlighted the fact that things were bound to change when school started. I wasn't sure if the change would be good or bad. Although I tried not to think about it too much, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something going on, something he wasn't telling me. If he didn't want to worry me, his method wasn't working. It had been easier to ignore while I was out of town with Dad the past few weeks. But being face-to-face with him, knowing his mannerisms as well as I do … he was definitely holding something back.

For now, I'd let it go. Hopefully, he'd choose to tell me before I had to ask.

**~*~*~**

The weekend before school started, his family had a big party. Letty insisted that I attend. I must admit that I was a bit nervous to meet his whole family – all the cousins, aunts, uncles. Well, the ones who lived nearby, anyway.

One cousin had a larger yard and lived just down the street from Weevil. Everyone else brought extra tables to set up in the back yard. They brought whatever food Letty told them to – in everyone's eyes, she seemed to be part matriarch and part event coordinator. When I offered to bring something, she said that wasn't necessary. But Felix was nearby and overheard. He asked – no, he begged – me to bring Snickerdoodles.

After that exchange, I asked Weevil if other PCHers would also be there or if it was just family. He said a few of them might be, but not everyone. I filed that away.

**~*~*~**

The night of the party, there were so many people there that I didn't get time to talk to everyone. I think I met most of his family – at least, a brief introduction.  

When food was still being prepared, Letty separated me from Weevil and steered me into the kitchen. She handed me a knife and told me to cut up whatever she gave me. At one point, she had to go outside to check on something, leaving me alone in the kitchen with several younger women whose names I'd already forgotten.

Turning my attention to my chopping duties, I noticed them giving me looks. They didn't seem to want to strike up a conversation with me. However, they did have quite a bit to say amongst themselves.

They stood just a few feet from me having a conversation entirely about me. There were questions and comments about why Weevil would date me and why I would be interested in him. They debated whether or not we'd slept together yet – or more precisely, how often we slept together – and they hypothesized what I could do for him that a neighborhood girl couldn't.

I tried not to laugh; I resisted the urge to punch them. But I never let it show that I understood almost every word of Spanish coming from their mouths.

Ten minutes of this and I was ready to go outside to find Letty. Just as I was about to put down my knife, I looked up and saw Weevil leaning against the archway between the kitchen and hallway.

He gave me a crooked smile and his eyes twinkled with mischief. Bringing a finger to his lips to tell me to stay quiet, he walked up behind the girls. "Running your mouths again?"

They all jumped and looked at one another, wondering how long he'd been there.

"I was only here for the last minute or so." He laughed and pointed at me. "But she was here the whole time."

They looked confused.

He looked directly at me as he said, " _Nena, dime. Ahora_." His words were a demand, but his tone was gentle.

Shaking my head, I smiled. "Nothing worth repeating." I noticed the stunned faces around me as his expression insisted that I answer him. My tone was unusually sweet as I gave in to his request. "They can't seem to figure out what you see in me or why I'm with you. They used some slang, a few things I'm pretty sure weren't meant as flattery."

He walked around the table toward me. "Like what?" He put one hand on the small of my back and pulled me up against him.

"One time, I heard the word strawberry, but I doubt they think I'm sweet. They were also speculating about the amount of sex we're having and … they seem to be more than a little curious about what we do … when we do it." Turning to look at them, I asked, "Did I miss anything?"

They appeared to be appropriately embarrassed. Weevil seemed amused by the whole thing.

He laughed and then kissed my forehead. " _Cariño, vamos afuera_." With an arm around my waist, he led me outside. "I doubt they'll make that mistake again."

Throughout the evening, Letty made sure that I felt welcome. The fact that she liked me did not seem to go unnoticed with the older females, who quickly warmed up to me. The younger ones who had been in the kitchen were cautious with me, but eventually, a few of them semi-apologized to me.  

It was later in the evening when Felix showed up. He made a beeline for me and I noticed a few people react to that. I realized that up until then, none of the younger males had spoken to me unless Weevil was beside me. When Felix put his arm around my shoulders and asked excitedly if I'd brought what he requested, a few people nearby held their breath and watched to see Weevil's reaction.

Taking in the situation, I told Felix that I wasn't sure where Weevil had put the box, but he could go ask him. He nearly bounced over to Weevil, who smiled at me as he went to get the box of Snickerdoodles.

After Felix had eaten a couple, he came over to thank me. I was standing beside Weevil, whose arm went a little tighter around my waist. A moment later, he was pulling me backward toward a chair. He sat down and I landed in his lap. I couldn't help but giggle. The whole possessive male thing boggled my mind. But I didn't mind that I was his. Didn't mind at all.

All in all, it was a nice evening. Once everyone got over the shock that Weevil had brought a girl – a white girl, no less – people stopped acting weird with me.  

When everyone was heading home, we helped Letty take leftovers and serving dishes back to the house. Then, he gave me a ride home. Several people waved as we were leaving the neighborhood.

As he walked me to my door, I told him how much I enjoyed meeting his family.

"I think they liked you. Well … most of them, anyway."

I laughed at that. "I couldn't help but notice that some people were uncomfortable with the way Felix acted towards me."

"Yeah. If it were anyone but him, I'd never allow it. But I needed to make it clear that … you're with me.  _Only_  me."

"I'm missing something."

"How do I say this? If someone heard the rumors about you and saw you being friendly with more than one of us …"

"You mean more than one of the PCHers?"

"Yes ... they might come to the conclusion that …"

"I'm being passed around?"

"Yeah. Something like that.  So I just needed to make it clear to everyone that although I don't mind that you're friends with Felix and that he loves your baking skills, there is a line. And it won't be crossed." Brushing my hair away from my face, he asked, "Do I want to know what's going on behind those eyes of yours?"

Finally finding words, I said, "If it were anyone other than you, this protective, possessive thing would bother me. But since it's because you want me to be safe and not have anyone say anything bad about me ..."

"Good. 'Cause with school starting … I'll put up with Wallace and Felix in your personal space, but any other guy gets within five feet of you, they're gonna be in a world of hurt."

"That's a little drastic, don't you think?"

"There are people who would mess with you just to get to me. They need to know I won't take it lightly."

"Okay, but there may be male students who hire me for my investigative skills. I may need to meet with them privately. What if I have to work with a lab partner on a project? You see what I'm getting at? It's not quite so black and white."

"I guess we can figure it out as we go. But this part is non-negotiable: you don't pull away from me in public."

"I've never done it before, have I?" I watched as he shook his head. "I get it. It's about respect. As long as I don't disrespect you, you don't look weak for treating me with respect."

"Another thing … we deal with conflict privately."

"Never been a fan of couples having arguments in public."

Hooking a finger in one of my beltloops, he gently pulled me toward him as he said, " _Bésame_."

"You're rather bossy tonight."

"Don't make me say it again, woman."

"Okay … but never call me 'woman' in public."

My hands moved up his arms and shoulders, continuing up his neck until they reached his head. I loved the feel of the smooth skin on his shaved head, especially while I was kissing him.  Definitely on my list of favorite things. But it made me want more – more time with him, more kisses, more skin.

As if he could read my mind, he exhaled these words like a sigh, " _No me canso de estar a tu lado_."

**~*~*~**

School would start in two days. I had tomorrow off; tonight was my last night of work before school. Even though I would still be working at Java the Hut during the school year, there was an air of nostalgia as my last hour ticked by. Many familiar faces came and went throughout the day. Some were nameless faces I had only ever known by their regular order.  

Not surprisingly, Duncan made his usual visit. We hadn't really talked since my birthday. We'd only exchanged pleasantries as I took his order. Today, he asked if we could talk when my shift ended.

"You can take the worried look off your face," he began. "When you didn't say anything about the birthday gift I left, I got the message. But I would like to talk to you before school starts. Just to clear the air?"

After I clocked out, I sat down at his table. "I only have a few minutes before I need to get going."

"I'll be quick. I was a bit thrown at the end of last year – with everything about Lilly's murder finally coming out, but also finding out that we're not related around the same time you started dating Weevil. It got me thinking … about the way things were … when we were together."

"Is that why you've been coming in here all summer? Why you broke up with Meg? Because you wanted to get back together with me?"

He didn't answer. He didn't have to. The answers to those questions were written on his face.

Looking down, I tried to gather my thoughts to respond. "I didn't say anything about your gift, because I didn't know what to say. It was sweet of you to remember my birthday, but …"

"Got it. You're over me." Playing with his coffee cup, he wouldn't meet my eyes. "I would like to try to be friends. There are very few people I can talk to about Lilly without them being weird about it. Even my parents … they just seem to want to forget it and move on." Finally, he looked up at me. "Anyway, I was hoping that if we could talk a little now, that … it wouldn't be weird if I occasionally came up to you at school and said hello … ask you about your day … complain about homework and stuff."

"In theory, that sounds fine. But you have to know that you'll be watched. If you do anything that crosses the friendship line …" I was half-teasing as I said this, but he clearly understood what I was getting at.

"You mean … if I don't want your boyfriend to rearrange my face or tape me to a flagpole, I need to keep my hands to myself?"

"Something like that." Glancing at my watch, I added, "I should get going."

"Walk you out?"

He held the door for me as we stepped outside. Walking side by side, we joked about the fact that we thought we'd care more about all the cliché senior year things that are coming up on the calendar. Some things just didn't seem that important anymore. After I unlocked my car door, he held it open as I got in.

His voice was filled with caring and sincerity as he said, "Goodnight, Veronica."

Smiling up at him as he shut the door, I locked it out of habit. As I watched him walk away, my thoughts swirled around. Would things have been different between us if Celeste hadn't told him I was his sister? After all, that's why he had broken up with me without telling me. Would we have still broken up when my father went after his parents during the murder investigation? There was really no way to know.

A knock on my window startled me. It was Thumper. Rolling down the window part way, I wondered what he was doing here. And come to think of it, where was Felix? He was supposed to be here tonight.

Thumper held up his phone to show me a video of Duncan walking me to my car. He shook his head as he said, "Weevil won't be happy when he sees this. I've been keeping him informed. He's been very interested in what you've been up to when he's not around."

I sat quietly and waited for him to continue or leave me alone. Still no sign of Felix and I couldn't call him with Thumper right next to me.  

"I'm betting you don't want him to see this. Wondering what you might be willing to do … for me to keep quiet. After everything I've told him, he'll never believe you. Honestly, I'm not sure why he hasn't cut you loose already." He leered at me, causing my skin to crawl. "But if you want to keep him, you should seriously consider keeping me happy." His tongue came out to touch his upper lip as he gave me a suggestive look.

Saying nothing, I just held his gaze as I put the window up. Then, I started the car. It didn't look like he was going to follow me tonight. I decided to call Felix when I got home.

After about a mile, a single headlight appeared in my rearview mirror. I dialed Felix's number, but it went to voicemail. Weevil's grandma had a long doctor's appointment this afternoon; I didn't want to bother him tonight.

A few blocks from home, I tried Felix again. And got his voicemail again.

When I pulled into the parking lot, I was about to call my dad to come down to my car, but then I saw who was riding the motorcycle that had followed me. It was Felix.

Opening my door, I asked, "How did you know to come?"

"I was watching you in the parking lot. Well, really I was watching Thumper."

"Why?"

"The past couple days … can't go into detail … but I was pretty sure if I gave him the opportunity, he'd try something. I mentioned that I was gonna be a little late to meet you tonight, but I didn't need anyone to cover … I'd just let you know to wait."

"But you got there early."

"Yeah." He immediately called Weevil, saying, "He took the bait."

**~*~**

There was a warehouse that shared an alley with my dad's office building. Corny had mentioned that he and a few friends were renting space there, using it as a community art studio. He had babbled about it excitedly, because he couldn't wait to work on larger sculpture projects now that he had more space. When Weevil had mentioned that we'd need somewhere to meet in the future, I asked Corny if I could have a key if I contributed to the rent. He explained to the other artists that they might have visitors at odd hours, but they said it was all cool.

After Felix got off the phone with Weevil, he followed me to my dad's office building. We went in the front, which Thumper would expect if Felix was my watcher tonight. I stopped in the office long enough to turn on lights and the radio. Then, I locked up and we went out the back of the building to cross the alley. Weevil had gone to the far side of the warehouse – entered through a garage door and parked his bike inside. He was waiting when we got there.

Felix had seen the conversation from a distance, but he and Weevil wanted to know what Thumper had said. When I told them I recorded most of it, they obviously wanted to hear it.

"First, what are you not telling me?" I asked.

Weevil dropped his head, considering what to tell me. "We both thought Thumper was just unhappy about the changes in the club … with me stepping back for a bit. He didn't seem to like taking orders from Felix. He definitely didn't like watching out for you. But it's more than that. He's power hungry … and that makes him dangerous."

"What are you gonna do?"

He gave me a look that said, 'I can't believe you're asking me that.' But what he actually said was, "We need to be careful. We need to take care of him … but without any of us getting hurt."

"I assume you have a plan."

Ignoring my curiosity, Weevil said, "V, we need to hear that recording. Now."

Before playing it, I told them as much as I could remember of how the conversation began, including Duncan walking me to my car after we “cleared the air.”

They both became increasingly tense as the recording played.

"Where was he during this?" Weevil asked Felix.

"Standing beside her car. Talking through the window."

Turning to me, Weevil asked, "He never touched you?"

I shook my head.

"And he never will. We'll make sure of that." Then, he let out a chuckle. "But if we're not around, you have my permission to taser his ass."

"Thanks. But I'd do it anyway … without your permission."

"That's my girl." With both his hands on my hips, he pulled me toward him and pressed his forehead to mine.

"About that plan …" I whispered.

"Felix and I have one … which may involve us enlisting some help." Seeing my face light up, he shook his head. "Not you. At least, not now.” Stroking the side of my face, he said, “We have a plan to protect you if things get ugly.”

With a nod, Weevil dismissed Felix.

As he walked away, Felix told me, "I'll wait for you in the alley."

Finally, Weevil and I had a moment alone. Those were few and far between these days. I wasn't sure how much that would change with school starting, but at least, I would see him at school.

We both hesitated to start something we knew would have to end too soon. Our kisses these days were either quick, chaste kisses in front of family and friends … or like this one … full of longing. Things between us had been hot and heavy in the spring, but summer arrived with a host of distractions and obligations. We had settled into this pattern of looking ahead to when circumstances would change. Until then, we made the most of these brief moments alone.

I would have happily spent another couple of hours there in his arms, but my phone buzzed to tell me that I had a text from my dad. He was wondering where I was.

Easier to call than text. And easier to keep it close to the truth. "Hey, Dad. Yeah … sorry, meant to call. I stopped at the office for a bit. Then, I went across the alley to see if Corny was around … Yeah, anyway, I'm leaving in a few minutes. Be home soon."

Returning my attention to Weevil, I gave him one more kiss before we parted ways. Felix was right outside the door. He remained my shadow until I was inside my apartment.

**~*~*~**

Somewhere in the middle of everything that happened this summer, the missing person case got solved. Angela Roman had been kidnapped by Gil Harrison and was kept in the upstairs of the club. However, just before Club Mojo was busted, he had been asked to take one girl to a private party. It seemed that Angela was a favorite of his and he was hoping to get some time alone with her.

When he heard what had happened, he couldn't go back to the club. He panicked, drugged Angela, and took her across the border into Mexico. When she tried to escape, he struck her on the head – severely injuring, but not killing her. He dumped her body, assuming she was near death.

Fortunately, someone found Angela and took her to a hospital. After she regained consciousness, she had amnesia. When she was released, she went to stay with the family of one of her nurses. Later, she started to regain her memory in bits and pieces. Her new friends were helping her on that end while we were looking for her on this end.

Long story short, she was reunited with her parents and has begun to get her life back. We turned over everything we had to the authorities. Hopefully, Gil (who had at least one alias) will be brought to justice. Regardless, we were able to bring a family back together. The past couple years had been traumatic for Angela, but she's a survivor. Given time and a strong support system, she should be able to get past it – God willing.

One small bright spot. A moment's happiness in a town that is too often filled with darkness and despair.

**~*~*~**

On the last night before school started, Dad and I had dinner with the Fennel family. To give Dad a little time alone with Alicia, the rest of us went for a walk on the beach. Darrell played with Backup while Wallace and I talked about our upcoming senior year. Wallace was clearly excited about the pomp and pageantry of it all – probably something to do with being a star athlete. It made him happy, so I tried to be a supportive friend.  

As I watched the sunset and its reflection on the ocean, I thought about how quickly this summer had come to an end. The school year was starting much too soon for my taste. And yet, it would be senior year. Only one year to go. Graduation could not come soon enough for me!

I would be overjoyed to put high school in my rearview mirror.

* * *

_Nena, dime. Ahora_. = Baby, tell me. Now.

_Cariño, vamos afuera_. = Darling, let's go outside.

_No me canso de estar a tu lado_. = I can't get enough of you.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 continues a modified version of #2.1 "Normal Is the Watchword" – from first day of senior year through the bus crash.

Here it is. Senior year. A fresh start. Try not to screw it up, Veronica.

Normal. That's the watchword. Sounds good, doesn't it?

Normal job just like other people my age? Check.

Best friend? Check.

Boyfriend? Check.

Lilly's killer behind bars? Check.

Senior year begins today and all appears hunky dory.

But appearances can be deceiving, especially here in Neptune.

**~*~**

While getting ready for school, I thought about how much things have changed in the past two years – particularly since last spring. After all, it had been mere months since Lilly’s murder was solved and the first time Weevil kissed me. This school year would certainly be different.

But does different equal normal?

Working at Java the Hut would be less dangerous – and also less interesting – than working for Dad. With him trying to keep me away from cases and Weevil trying to shield me from whatever was happening in the PCH Bike Club, it was all I could do to keep from digging under the surface to find whatever they were keeping from me. At some point, curiosity would predictably get the better of me.

For now, I tried to settle into this new normalcy.

**~*~**

I left my apartment a little earlier than I needed to, because I wanted to leave some extra time … first day and all. As I walked toward my car, I saw that Weevil was waiting for me. After a good morning kiss and a back-to-school grope, I got on the road with him following me. Pulling into the school lot, I parked in my usual area and Weevil pulled alongside Felix. After they talked briefly, he walked over to my car.

When he was close enough for me to read his eyes, I had a good idea what was about to happen. With a smirk on his face and one hand on my abdomen, he backed me up against the side of my car.

Laughter escaped from my lips as my insides turned to jelly. The possessive male returns.

"Is this the part where you mark your territory in a very public way?" I asked as I glanced around the parking lot to see who was watching us.

He slid his hand from my abs around to my back, grazing my breast on the way. His other hand moved up to my face. My hands involuntarily landed on his chest. At the same moment, I remembered my promise to him that I would not pull away in public. And seriously, when he made me feel like this, why would I?

His eyes and his voice turned dark and sexy as he said, "Just want to make sure it's clear to everyone that you’re mine.”

I expected him to immediately make his move. But he was taking his time. And I was becoming impatient.

Pressing against him, I gave him an order which I knew he wouldn't mind obeying. " _Bésame_."

"You're rather bossy today."

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Seeing the look in his eyes, I knew what he was waiting for. My voice was softer as I said, " _Por favor_."

"You know I love it when you say please."

The kiss began as a bit of theatre, but quickly escalated to something that could not continue in public. His lips had made their way to a spot on my neck that he knew drove me wild.  

He whispered in my ear, "We'll finish this later. Gotta get to class." Leaning away from me, he stroked the side of my face and studied me as if he hadn't seen me in weeks. "You look beautiful today."

"Thanks. You look dashing, as usual. But I think the lip gloss looks better on me." I wiped his lips with my thumb – slowly, while holding his gaze.

"Keep that up and we'll be skipping the first day of school. I'll put you on my bike and drive somewhere … anywhere we can be alone."

"No way. I am  _not_  explaining to your grandma why you're in trouble on the first day." With a hand on his chest, I gently pushed his weight off me.  

He signaled to Felix that we were heading in. As we began walking, his arm went around my shoulders and mine went around his waist. If anyone had any doubts about whether we were still a couple, those doubts were now gone.

We were near the flagpole when Wallace approached us. He nodded as he said hello to Weevil and then looked at me. "You didn't call me back last night."

"Don't go gettin' all girl on me."

Weevil kissed my temple and said, "And on that note … I'll see you later,  _cariño_."

Beaming at him, I said, "Count on it,  _querido_."

I turned to Wallace as he said, "According to the letter I opened last night, I failed my drug test. I'm booted from athletics for the whole year."

"You don't do drugs."

"No duh, Sherlock. And it wasn't just me."

"I heard." Seeing his confused expression, I added, "I stopped at The Hut on the way home last night to check on my schedule. Kelvin Moore dropped by and told me his sad tale of woe. I just didn't realize that you had the same sad tale."

"You would … if you'd have called me back." Then, Wallace filled in a few details that Kelvin had left out – like the fact that Meg's test came back positive. "So, you'll help?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Shaking my head, I remembered the inner monologue I had running in front of the mirror this morning. "Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in."

In between normal first day activities, I questioned a few classmates.  Later, I had a brainstorming session with Wallace and asked my dad how to track down a missing puzzle piece. Unsurprisingly, this perfectly capable investigator solved the mystery surrounding the drug tests. Some particularly unscrupulous parents had paid off a lab technician to falsify the test results of five starting athletes, ensuring that their kids would be moved up on the roster. Mr. Clemmons seemed to appreciate my assistance in bringing the truth to light.

**~*~*~**

When I was still looking into the drug test results, I approached Meg to ask her about it. I expected her to be cold, but did not expect the jealous venom that spewed from her. At some point in our brief interaction, she basically said she blamed me for Duncan breaking up with her, implying that he was still in love with me.

Although she had yet to warm up to me, she had moved into the gloating phase of our cold war. Because about a week into the school year, she and Duncan were back together.

There was still some tension among the 09ers. Logan and Duncan were on the outs. Apparently, Logan expected Duncan to be an unconditionally supportive friend while Logan's dad awaited trial. Although Logan couldn't see it, it was understandable that Duncan would find that difficult since Mr. Echolls was accused of murdering Duncan's sister. Not to mention, Mr. & Mrs. Kane had their own legal problems this summer.

All of that mess was  _so_  not my problem.

**~*~*~**

During the first week of school, I visited Miss James to ask for her assistance. I told her that I had been tutoring him last year, but I wanted to step up the effort this year to make sure he graduated. She seemed eager to help me. I asked her to get me copies of his textbooks and see if she could get me advanced notice of his assignments, plus quiz and test schedule. She said that if he would agree to meet with her weekly to check on his progress, she would be willing talk to his teachers, tell them that she was working with him, and see if they would communicate information to her.

I talked to him about it. At first, he didn't like the idea – of having to meet with her or of giving his teachers a reason to single him out. I was able to convince him that it could only help. And once they saw the effort that he was putting in to reach his goal of graduation, they would be more likely to help him, rather than waiting for him to fail.

Miss James came through on the textbooks. I kept my copies of the books in the trunk of my car. With Dad's permission, I made an extra set of car keys and gave them to Weevil. That way, whether we were meeting at my apartment to do homework or if he was dropping by The Hut to use a table while I was at work, the books would be available. And he wouldn't have to carry them around with him.

**~*~*~**

Weevil had a lot on his plate: helping his grandma (though she needed him less now than a few months ago), putting in a new level of effort at school, back to his leadership duties with the PCH, and he had gone into business with Mac.

Back at the beginning of the summer, Mac needed some work done on her car. They worked out a trade.  Somewhere in their conversation, Weevil brought up that he was doing some work for an 09er. That conversation put both of their brains in motion.

Mac pointed out that 02ers had skills that 09ers could pay for – like academic prowess or the willingness to clean up after a party or the skills to repair a car damaged during a joy ride. Everyone had something to trade or something they needed. Why not set up a website where people could barter? It would primarily be for students, but maybe eventually for the town or an even wider audience.

He didn't tell me anything about the business plan they were hatching until my birthday, but things had been in the works for a while at that point. Even then, he didn't tell me everything going on in his head – and he wouldn't until later, when it became necessary.

Mac agreed to set up the website, get advertisers, and serve as admin – for a percentage of the profits, of course. They agreed to a 50-50 split. In addition, he could pick up some side jobs through the site. If it did as well as Mac thought it would, he might not need to work as many shifts at Angel's shop (or any at all).

I could tell that Mac was excited about the idea and the potential cash flow. Last year, she had wanted to start a website where students could 'Get the Dirt' on their parents. I had decided against it. Maybe, I needed to rethink going into business with Mac. A source of income that did not require me to be polite to classmates I despised? That sounded appealing right now.

**~*~*~**

There were things I liked about working at Java the Hut; there were things I didn't like so much. Apart from the possibility of burns resulting from hot beverages or the rare occurrence of the truly psycho customer, the potential for danger in this job was less than working for Dad. But it was also more predictable and some days I craved the unexpected.

Then again, sometimes an ordinary day was welcome.

One day, a familiar face showed up at work. He didn't want a table or even a latte to go; he just wanted to talk to me. More correctly, he wanted to talk at me – to throw accusations, threats, and insults.

In the midst of his lengthy speech (which I tried to ignore while cleaning the counter work area after a 30-minute rush), Thumper had this to say: "Not sure what you wanted with him, but now that he got what he wanted from you, you can bet he'll be moving on. He has more important things to do … and other girls to do. Why don't you do yourself a favor and exit before you're asked to leave? Things could get a little rough. You might get hurt."

"Is that a threat?"

He was sneering as he replied. "Statement of fact. Wouldn't want a fragile little thing like you to get caught in the crossfire."

"See … it still sounds like a threat."

"Just lookin' out for you." He shrugged. "Isn't that what we were ordered to do?"

I did not respond, hoping he was finished and would be leaving. He leered at me with his tongue out on his upper lip. As he ran a finger down my arm, a chill ran down my spine.

After another moment of staring at me, he did finally leave. On my break, I texted Felix and told him that we needed to talk because Thumper had dropped by.

At the end of my shift, Felix was waiting for me. He told me that Weevil was going to meet us at the warehouse behind my dad's office.

**~*~**

Like we always did, Felix and I went in the front of the office building, left lights on in the office, locked it back up, and walked across the alley. Weevil was already there.

Although they didn't like that Thumper felt he could show up in a public place and threaten me, they assured me that they had things under control and they would protect me.  Through the course of the conversation, I learned that Thumper had escalated his efforts – feeding bigger lies to Felix and Weevil. The downside of letting Thumper think he was gaining ground was that the other guys were starting to question Weevil's leadership.

The two of them still wouldn't tell me exactly why they were worried about Thumper and had yet to let me in on their plan.

**~*~*~**

To keep my mind off things, I tried to stay busy. Even with senior year classes, looking through college brochures, working at The Hut, and tutoring Weevil, I found myself with too much time on my hands.

Earlier in the summer, Mac put some new software on my computer, I decided it was time to take the software for a test drive.  I remembered that there were some surveillance photos from Club Mojo where some faces in the background were in shadow and often only a partial view.

I found out exactly how good the new software was at cleaning up images. Those faces that had been a complete mystery when I originally took the photos were now nearly crystal clear.

But I was left with a question: What was Thumper doing in that alley?

Among the newly visible faces, there were a few I hadn't seen before and didn't recognize. I decided this would be a good time to ask Leo for a favor.

Even though it was late at night, I texted him so that I wouldn't forget in the morning. I didn't expect a response, but he was working the night shift. I called Leo and explained that I had some photos that were connected to a missing person case we had solved and that although we were done with the case, I had been going back through the photos.

He could hear that I was ramping up to a request. "What do you need, Veronica?"

"Can you take a look and see if you can ID any of the faces for me? I'm curious if those faces match any of the names that turned up when we were investigating this." I knew he'd find out that a member of the PCH Bike Club was in the photo, so I preemptively gave him Thumper's name. I just did not explain the full extent of why his appearance there concerned me.

Leo said they were having a slow night and he had tomorrow off, so he had some time. Promising to get back to me in the next couple days, he added, "It's nice to hear from you, even if it's for a favor."

“I owe you, Leo.”

**~*~*~**

True to his word, Leo got back to me fairly quickly – actually, less than 24 hours later. Before he gave me what he had, he began asking me questions.

His concern was obvious in the tone of his voice. "Are you still dating Weevil Navarro?"

"How did you …?"

He cut me off. "Doesn't matter, Veronica. Just answer the question."

Remembering that Dad and Duncan had both noticed how close Weevil and I were the night that Aaron Echolls was arrested, it seemed logical that one of the officers there that night could have said something to Leo. Regardless, no point in denying it. "Yes."

"And your father knows?"

"Yes. Your point?"

"You mentioned that Thumper Orozco was in the photos, but you didn't tell me that the Fitzpatricks were connected to Club Mojo." He paused. "You see where I'm going with this?"

"Not exactly."

"How worried should I be for your safety? And does your dad know that Thumper is connected to this?"

"We knew about the Fitzpatricks from the beginning. The new faces I just found in the photos … I haven't told him about those yet. I was waiting to see what else you were able to find for me."

"So, he doesn't know that he should be worried.”

"Your concern is touching, Leo. But I'm fine. I was well-hidden when I took the photos and Thumper doesn't know I was working a case that involved the club."

"I heard the words you said just now, but there's something you're not saying. If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine, but … you need to tell your dad about all this."

"What do you have for me?"

"Those other faces belong to members of the McGuire family, whose base of operations seems to be Huntington Beach. They are also key players in the criminal underworld throughout the L.A. area."

"What's the connection to the Fitzpatricks? Are they allies? Business partners? Frenemies looking to make a peace accord between Irish families?"

"Can't help you with that. Far as I know, we were unaware of their presence in Neptune. I had to check with some contacts in other cities to find out as much as I did."

"Thanks for this, Leo. Let me know when you need something."

"Just promise to stay safe and we'll call it even this time. I'll let you know if I find anything else."

**~*~*~**

After talking to Leo, I had texted Weevil asking if we could set up a time to meet in the warehouse. We agreed to meet at 7 a.m. and set an evening time as a backup plan in case either of us couldn't make it in the morning.

I didn't sleep very well. Kept waking up from dreams that were essentially replays of my last few interactions with Thumper. Spliced in between those scenes were the photos from outside Club Mojo. When I tried to get back to sleep, my imagination was spinning possible scenarios for how this PCH drama would play out. My subconscious seemed to think that a happy ending was not very probable.

Unable to go back to sleep after the last dream, I finally got out of bed just before 5 a.m. While I was getting ready, I texted Weevil that I could meet earlier if he wanted. By 6 a.m., I was in the office getting some filing done while I waited for our meeting time to roll around. At 6:35, I got a text saying he was at the warehouse.

As I locked the office door and started toward the back exit and the alley, I was a bit nervous. Honestly, I wasn't sure how this conversation was going to go.

After a long (and much needed) kiss hello, I walked to a work table and opened my laptop. I clicked on the folder to open it. Then, I scrolled to the set of images that included Thumper. After I picked one that clearly showed most of the faces, I waited to see Weevil's reaction.

As I expected, his whole body went tense. He leaned toward the screen. "When was this?"

"June."

"I remember you telling me that you were doing surveillance from across the street. Why am I just seeing these now?"

"The original images weren't clear enough to ID everyone. Got bored the other night and tried out some new software to see what it was capable of.  _Et voilà_!" With a Vanna White flourish, I gestured toward the screen.

Pointing at the photo, he said, "I recognize two of the Fitzpatricks. Who are the others?"

"This one on the left is a distant cousin of the Fitzpatricks. Apparently, moved to town earlier this year. The remaining two belong to the McGuire family. You know anything about them?"

"Heard of them. Didn't know they were working local. Didn't know they were connected to the Fitzpatricks."

"And you didn't know … ?"

"That Thumper is mixed up in their business? No." Weevil rubbed a hand down his face and gave me a sideways glance. He let out a sigh as he dropped his head. "Looks like a bad situation just got worse."

"Well, really … it's been worse since June, we just didn't know it."

"Guess you're right." He rubbed the back of his head and neck. "I specifically asked you to  _not_  look into ... I know you didn't mean to go looking for this exactly – and it is useful information – but you stop now. I don't want Thumper to have a reason to target you. If he thought you were digging into this …" Placing his hands on the sides of my face, he leaned his forehead against mine and said softly, "I don't want you anywhere near this or him. Clear?"

"Crystal."

If he was trying to persuade me to comply with his wishes or make me feel completely safe despite the circumstances, the extended kiss he gave me accomplished both.

"Things are gonna get ugly, aren't they?" I asked quietly.

"Looks that way."

"Do you have an exit strategy yet?"

"I'm working on it."

"And you'll let me know what I need to know … when I need to know it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The less I know, the safer I am."

As I closed my laptop, I handed him the thumbdrive. "Copies of the most useful photos."

After that, we made out on the couch. The advantage of meeting earlier than originally planned: extra time.

With my head resting on his shoulder, I broke the silence, "We need to find more time to be alone. I miss this."

"Soon."

"How soon? A week? A month? Give me a clue."

"You like clues, don't you? You like to piece them together and figure things out."

"You got me."

"Damn right." His possessive response led to more kissing. His voice was thick with lust as he said, “You’re mine.”

**~*~*~**

For Weevil's family, Sunday dinner was a tradition. Since it was pretty much just me and Dad, I envied the closeness of his extended family. Maybe that's why, when presented with the opportunity to do something for them, I jumped at the chance.

After being at the party before school started, I had an automatic invite to the weekly dinner. Although I missed a couple, it became a regular thing on my schedule, because as Weevil put it, his grandma expected me to be there. The second time I went, I mentioned to Weevil that I was excited that I would be picking up my senior portraits in a few days. I saw several expressions change. I leaned in to ask him if it was because of something I'd said.

"Think about it, V."

And then, it hit me. Senior portraits did not fall under "necessary expenditures" in some family budgets.

Then, something else hit me. An idea.

Whispering, I winked as I said, "I'm pretty good with a camera. Not to mention photo editing. And I have a high-quality printer." I let that sink in. "I could offer to do theirs."

"They won't take a hand out, but I bet they'd trade."

I brought it up as we were cleaning up after dinner. When all was said and done, some serious bartering had occurred. The result for me: dance lessons, dressmaker for an original prom dress, one-of-a kind purse, someone to teach me to make the traditional recipes served at the family dinner, and car detailing.

As we were deciding on a location that would give everyone background options, Letty asked if I could do a portrait of the whole family. Weevil interrupted, saying that with this many people, it would be really hard to arrange.

I dismissed his concern. "No, not as difficult as you might think. I'm guessing you all go to church on Sundays. We could meet after Mass … in the park down the block from St. Mary's. We can use the stone steps as risers. The trees will be in the background. It's perfect. You're already gonna be in one place … dressed in your 'Sunday best.' All I have to do is point the camera at you."

Weevil leaned over to whisper in my ear, "You sure? You don't have to do it just because she asked."

Answering loudly enough for all to hear, "It would be my pleasure. My Christmas gift to all of you. I'll print an 8x10 for each of the moms. For everyone, your choice of a 4x6 or wallet size. And I can email a .jpg to anyone who wants it." Looking around at their expressions, I added, "Just pick a Sunday and I'll make sure I'm not working. Oh, and pray for good weather."

Within the next two weeks, I had taken senior portraits for Weevil and eight of his cousins. The day I took the family portrait, the weather was beautiful. While we were there and everyone was dressed up, a few of the families with young kids asked me to get a shot that they could use as their Christmas card photo. That evening, I took some candid shots at the family dinner.

The next week, Weevil had me take a group photo of the PCHers. Then, the two of us went down to the beach. I put my camera on a tripod and set the timer. There were several good shots, but when we looked through the photos together, we both picked the same one as our favorite. He was holding me close with one arm around my back. His other hand held mine to his lips as he kissed my knuckles and stared into my eyes.

Taking photos of happy families and smiling seniors was definitely more enjoyable than trying to get a “money shot.” Although I wasn't sure I'd ever want to work as a professional photographer, it's always good to have a marketable skill to fall back on.

**~*~*~**

Weevil was at our apartment one night to study.  Before coming over, he had worked a few hours at his uncle's shop after school. By the time he arrived, we had already finished dinner. My dad asked if he wanted something to eat, but he turned down the offer. About an hour into homework, his stomach was growling loudly. Dad didn't even ask him again, he just reheated a plate of food and put it in front of him.

Looking up from his book, Weevil said, "Thanks, Sheriff."

After he finished eating, we took a short walk down to the patio overlooking the water. It was nice to have a little time alone. As we stood there at the railing, I realized that I had never considered it a romantic spot, but at the moment, it definitely was.

While we were out there, we compared schedules to figure out when we could get some more “alone time.” We decided on an upcoming Saturday. He would call Bri and make sure it was okay for us to hang out at the B&B that day. I couldn't wait. Judging by the look in his eyes, neither could he.

When we returned to the apartment, my dad decided to strike up a conversation before we dove back into studying. He wanted to know how Letty was doing. Weevil had talked to me about it some, but he didn't get into all the details and didn't bring it up often. He told Dad pretty much what he had told me recently.

After going to see several doctors, they finally felt like they found the right one. This doctor is taking her concerns seriously, particularly since the most common ailments with her symptoms had already been ruled out. While they continued looking for the root of the problem, the doctor did what she could to help Letty get back to her regular life, suggesting changes to her diet and some supplements that seemed to be helping her energy level until they reached a diagnosis. The medicine that one of the other doctors tried for her high blood pressure didn't help and they still weren't sure what caused it to elevate. But following the suggestions from this new doctor, she'd been feeling a little better and was able to consistently work a part-time schedule. She had another appointment scheduled for next week. Her doctor had been doing some research and wanted to run a few new tests.

When the conversation had run its course, Dad excused himself to fold and iron the laundry he had done earlier. We went back to our homework. At eleven o'clock, Dad came out to the living room and turned on the news.

Weevil looked at the time. "I should get going." He closed his book. Then, he pulled a few pages out of the notebook he was using, folded them, and put them inside his jacket. Stacking up the books and notebooks, he said, "I'll drop this stuff in the trunk of your car on my way out." Turning to my dad, he thanked him again for dinner and for letting him study here.

"Not a problem, Eli. It's nice to see you applying yourself to your schoolwork." Then, Dad walked down the hall to the bathroom.

"I'm pretty sure he just did that to give us a little privacy. So, kiss me quick … before he comes back."

He dropped his books back on the counter, stepped toward me, and slid his fingers into my hair as he cupped my face. This kiss was different than the possessive kisses he gave me in public. This kiss was tender – which is how he usually was with me in private.

**~*~*~**

About a month after the school year started, I had the opportunity to act like a normal high school student by going on a normal school field trip. The journalism teacher planned a trip for anyone from newspaper, yearbook, and the broadcast news class who wanted to tour Shark Field.

When Weevil found out that both Cervando and I would be going on the field trip, he cleared his schedule so he could follow us. That day when I got on the bus, I looked around and chose a seat as far away from the 09ers as I could get. I'm not sure if Weevil gave him instructions or not, but when Cervando showed up, he asked if I minded him sitting next to me.

The tour itself was pretty cool. While we were there, we found out that the owner's daughter was a new student at our school. That explains how we were able to get a nearly all-access tour complete with scrumptious buffet. Connections certainly do help.

While we were eating, Terrence Cook came in to do a little meet and greet. Once my dad found out that I shook his favorite player's hand, he would never let me wash my hand again.

Things were uncomfortable during the outing since Meg was still being a bit frosty toward me. But I didn't have to deal with her glaring at me on the way home, because the 09ers made arrangements to take a limo back to school. They had complained about the smell on the bus. Admittedly, it did have a strong odor. However, not everyone can afford to pay for and get permission to use alternate transportation.

The only 09er who didn't ride back in the limo was Madison. Not that I cared enough to keep up with relationship drama in that circle, but it was pretty clear that she didn't want to be near Dick.

Cervando and I were sitting near the middle of the bus until we stopped at a gas station, where I had a brief chat with Weevil. I asked if I was going to see him later.

He replied flirtatiously, "You're seeing me now. What? Can't get enough of me? We'll have plenty of time together on Saturday."

"I was hoping you could make time for me before then." I tilted my head and tried to persuade him. "Please?"

He groaned. "'You keep using that word. But I do not think …' you know what it does to me."

I'm sure that my face showed that I was stunned. There is nothing like a hot biker who can quote The Princess Bride and adapt it to fit his purposes.

With a shrug, he said, "What? You know we're reading it in English class."

"Yeah, but I didn't think you started it yet."

"Didn't, but I've seen the movie."

Ms. Dumas was telling everyone to hurry back onto the bus.

I gave Weevil a brief, but passionate kiss. "That's a preview of coming attractions … if you make time to see me later."

He didn't seem to want to let me go after that last kiss. Or maybe it was the suggestive way I had said the word  _please_. Either way, his reaction was as predictable as it was heartwarming. I had to disentangle myself from his arms. As I walked away, I glanced over my shoulder to see him watching me.

"You're killing me here, V."

Happy laugher escaped from my lips and I blew him a kiss.

When I got back on the bus, I noticed that Cervando had struck up a conversation with someone else. So, I walked all the way to the back and sat in the last seat, where I would be able to see Weevil's bike behind us.

There was something comforting about having him there, though I would have preferred to be on his bike with him. Ms. Dumas wouldn't allow it without permission from a parent. She may be new, but she figured out rather quickly that the 09ers get special treatment and the rest of us don't.

As the others on the bus chatted with friends, I took some time to enjoy the view of the water before turning to look behind us again. It was a deceptively beautiful day. And my heart was full as I thought about the plans I had with Weevil for this weekend.  

Honestly, I can't tell you much of what anyone else was doing at the moment I heard what sounded like an explosion, because my focus was on Weevil. I remember the sensation of being thrown around, but don't actually remember hitting my head or any other body part that ended up battered and bruised. I have a recollection – so hazy it seems like a dream – of floating up through a hole, slowly rising through water, and reaching the surface.

I don't remember hearing anything else – not the bus crashing into the guard rail as it plunged over the cliff or the other students screaming or the splash when the bus hit the water – though I'm sure there must have been sounds around me. I certainly didn't hear the voices coming from the side of the road above us.

What do I remember? I felt myself floating. I felt the warmth of the sun on me. I felt warmth in my heart as pictures of Dad, Backup, Weevil, Wallace, Mac, and Lilly drifted through my mind as I drifted in and out of consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know … many of you hate me right now. Feel free to comment and tell me all about it. Reading what you have to say can't be any more painful than it was for me to write this arc of the series.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So about that bus crash cliffhanger …
> 
> There will ultimately be a happy ending … in Part 5 of this series. But I should warn you there would be some rough patches along the way there. Some of the roughest are here in Part 2.

At times, I was aware of movement and sound around me. Images kept flashing in my mind's eye. There was no particular order to the images; they didn't match the sounds I heard. Occasionally, the faces I saw matched the voices that were speaking to me. I recognized some voices, but not others.

The unfamiliar voices explained that they were there to see how I was doing, to draw blood and check on my IV, to give me a sponge bath or change my gown. As they talked, I felt hands on me. Their touch was comforting as they cared for me. If they had not been explaining what they were doing, it might have been scary rather than soothing, since I couldn't see their faces.

Somehow, I knew that I was safe.

Familiar voices held one-sided conversations with me. Most of the time, I heard Weevil and Dad.

My father spent time telling me old stories – first days of school, learning to drive, my first camera, bringing Backup home. At the end of each story, he would plead with me to come back to him, saying things like, "We have more memories to make, sweetie."

Sometimes, I would feel his hand holding mine while an old movie played in the background. He would comment on his favorite parts like he always did during movies.

When Weevil was with me, he talked about many things: that Letty and the rest of his family were praying for me, that Felix was looking forward to seeing me again soon, and about school. Sometimes, he read to me. I seem to remember hearing large portions of The Princess Bride.

One day, his normal flow of babble broke through my mental haze, escalating into this:

"Just want you back,  _querida_. Miss you. Miss your kisses. Miss your voice. God, V …  _me encanta escuchar tu voz_." As he held one of my hands between both of his, I heard a song in the background – the one that had been playing on the radio as we sat in the car one night last spring, one of the songs he had put on a cd for me. The lyrics floated past my ears to my heart:

_"Aún recuerdo el momento en que todo cambió ..."_

His voice was soft as he said, " _Mi vida_  …  _todo cambió_."

For minutes on end, he whispered in Spanish – the words blurred together by sobbing, coming too quickly for me to understand all of it. As his voice steadied and the words slowed down, he shifted from Spanish into English:

" _Dios mío, te necesito_. So many things I thought I needed – I don't need any of it. Swear to God, I'd give it all up to have you back. I need you more than anything."

He stroked my hair and pressed his lips against my forehead. Then, I felt his head resting next to mine. "I'm trying to hold it together, stay on top of school, figure out what's going on with my guys – but fuck, I can barely breathe without you." It sounded like he was choking back tears. " _Nena_. Come back to me. I've never needed anything like I need you. That's not an easy thing for someone like me to admit. Please, don't make me say it again." He let out a dark, sexy laugh before whispering in my ear, "We haven't even made love yet. Come on, beautiful, that's gotta be worth coming back for." His tone became serious as he continued, "And I will do anything I have to do to be good enough for you. Just come back to me, be mine …  _mía_."

I could smell leather and oil … and something that was uniquely Weevil. I could feel his hand holding mine as his voice reached my ear. But it was the gentle kiss placed against the inside of my wrist that seemed to awaken me.

As I opened my eyes, I saw his head resting against his hands on mine. I took a moment to process, but nothing made sense. Everything in me wanted to take him in my arms, but it took all my effort just to move the hand he wasn't holding. I reached across my body and tenderly placed my hand on the smooth skin of his head. He reacted to my touch as he always did – almost like when you pet a cat.

All of a sudden, he became perfectly still. Then, he reached behind his head to find my hand. When he did, he raised his head to look at me.

He gasped before saying, "Hello, beautiful." Weevil stared at me with tear-filled eyes. He stroked the side of my face and moved to give me a kiss on the forehead. After a long, tender moment, he wiped away his tears and said, "Let me go tell everyone that Sleeping Beauty is awake."

My voice was hoarse as I said, "Everyone?"

"Your dad, the doctors and nurses. Then, we'll have to call Wallace and Mac."

He stepped out of the room. Only then did I look around and see that I was in a hospital bed hooked up to machines.

My dad was the first one through the door. Soon, I was surrounded by medical personnel who were asking questions and looking me over.  

After some prodding and poking, one of the nurses brought me a drink of water. The first couple times I tried to speak, I had difficulty getting the words out.

Finally, I asked, "How long have I been here?"

Dad said, "It's been 15 days."

"What happened?"

He and Weevil looked at each other, silently negotiating who should answer me.

Weevil began, "You were on the bus … on the way back from the field trip to Shark Stadium. I was following the bus. Do you remember anything?"

"I remember seeing you … out the back window … I was sitting all the way at the back, in the last seat. And then …" I paused and closed my eyes, trying to remember. "Did something hit the bus? Or was it … ? Wait. There was a loud sound … like …" I became agitated, partly because I desperately wanted to remember, but partly because I couldn't make sense of what I could remember.

"Shh. Take it easy, honey," Dad said. "Don't worry about that now. We're just glad you're awake."

"No, this is important. Were we hit?"

Dad looked at Weevil, who answered, "No. The bus veered and went over the cliff. I was behind the limo. All I saw was the back of the bus as it disappeared. But there were no other vehicles involved."

"I heard a loud sound."

"That was probably the bus hitting the guard rail."

"No. It was … it was more like an explosion." I looked at Weevil's face and suddenly realized what he must have been thinking and feeling when he saw the bus crash. I reached for his hand and then turned to Dad. "Can we have a minute alone?"

"Sure, honey. But I get second shift. I'll be in the waiting room. I'll call Mac and Wallace and give them the news."

"Thanks, Dad," I said as he kissed the top of my head.

When the door closed and we were alone, I said, "Are you okay?"

"Am I okay? You're kidding me, right?"

"No. If I had to sit for two weeks waiting for you to wake up after watching you plunge over a cliff, my insides would be shredded. So, I'm going to ask again, are you okay?"

He was quiet for a moment. With an expression equally sad as it was happy, he began softly, "I'm good now, but I was a wreck at first. When I got to the edge with everyone who was in the limo, I looked down and I couldn't imagine how anyone could have survived that. But then I saw you floating there – the color of your jacket caught my attention. And waiting for help to arrive …" His voice trailed off like he couldn't bear to finish his thought. "When they brought you up, you weren't breathing. By the time they got you in the ambulance, you were breathing, but not conscious. I probably should not have been driving at that point, but I got on my bike and followed you to the hospital. Duncan tried to get me to go with them in the car, but I … couldn't do that. I told Duncan to call your dad. Since then, we've just been waiting for you to come back to us."

"Who else is still in the hospital? Or has everyone else been home for days?"

"Veronica ..." His face became even more serious. "No one else survived."

I turned my head away and closed my eyes, taking in the enormity of what he had just said.

After a couple minutes, he broke the silence. "Do you need anything?"

"More water. And do you have any gum or a mint?"

"Yeah, but wouldn't you like something to eat?"

"Later. Right now, I want to kiss you, but my mouth tastes nasty."

He laughed at me as he poured a cup of water and produced a piece of gum from his jacket pocket. With him sitting on the edge of my bed and tubes coming out of my body, we got reacquainted.

I had never felt so alive – and happy to be alive.

A nurse rushed through the door and turned red when she realized she was interrupting a private moment. "Sorry. Your heart rate was elevated. And you should really be resting."  She shook her finger at me, but smiled as she left.

After kissing me again, Weevil said, "I'm gonna go get your dad. I'll give you guys some time alone while I get some food and make a few phone calls."

About a minute after Weevil left the room, my father came in. The first several minutes were filled with all that you would expect in a happy reunion of this type: hugs, kisses, expressions of joy. This shifted into small talk before Dad could gather the strength to talk about the extent of my injuries. The bruising had begun to fade. The doctors were amazed I didn't have any broken bones, but I did bang up my right arm pretty good – lots of bruising and swelling. There had been some internal bleeding and they had to operate to stop it. There was a possibility that I might need another surgery. But they had been most concerned about the severity of my concussion. With the amount of time I'd been unconscious, they would need to evaluate my cognitive function. Dad went to great lengths to avoid the words 'coma' and 'brain injury.'

"While Eli was in here with you, the staff spoke to me directly and I overheard them talking at the nurses station. They are beyond happy with how you're doing and the fact that you woke up recognizing faces … even remembering the accident. It is still possible you have some memory loss, but all indications are good."

"So … tell me what I missed."

"You mean … while you were sleeping?"

I looked up at my dad and smiled. I had never been so grateful to hear one of his bad jokes.

* * *

_querida_  = darling

 _me encanta escuchar tu voz_  = love hearing your voice

LYRICS:  _aún recuerdo el momento en que todo cambió_ = I still remember the moment when everything changed

 _mi vida …_   _todo cambió_  = my life (term of endearment) … everything changed

 _Dios mío, te necesito_  = My God, I need you

 _nena_  = baby

 _mía_  = mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song on CD (from Chap 10 and 12 of Stall): "Y Llegaste Tú" by Sin Bandera (feat. Andrés De León) 2002


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains bits of #2.2 "Driver Ed" and #2.3 "Cheatty Cheatty Bang Bang"

Dad proceeded to tell me all the things I had missed – cases solved, news about his book, and his normal everyday existence. A short time later, Weevil came back in and told me about all the happenings at Neptune High and a little of the PCH drama.

Between the two of them, this is what I found out …

During the coma, there were a few cases that I probably would have taken, but I was otherwise occupied.

Jessie Doyle had approached Mac a few days after the accident. She knew we were friends and she asked Mac to talk to my dad to see if he could look into the accident to prove it wasn't suicide. The request was more than a little awkward since his daughter was on the bus that her dad had been driving, but Dad agreed to help her. Jessie was not initially thrilled with what he found – a mistress. But the fact that Ed Doyle was planning to leave his wife gave another possible interpretation to the email Lamb had quickly labeled a suicide note. With the additional evidence – including a statement from Carla Cotter, the other woman – Dad was able to persuade Lamb to look at the case from a different angle.

Wallace seemed to have developed a thing for a new girl at school, Jackie Cook, who needed help finding out who hit her (or rather, her dad's) car in the school parking lot. Wallace had apparently been paying close attention to how I went about investigating things. He solved the case and impressed the girl. Since I had yet to meet her, I had yet to form an opinion about her.

Before the accident, Weevil had just been getting back into the swing of his leadership duties. With the amount of time he'd been spending at the hospital with me, Felix said that there were murmurs again questioning his ability to lead, saying he needed to step up and do his job soon … or maybe they needed a new leader. Not surprisingly, Thumper was fanning the fervor any chance he got.

Mac had been making sure that Weevil did not fall behind in any of his classes. In fact, when she realized that he was going to spend every spare minute at the hospital, she brought the tutoring to him – either in my room, the waiting room, or the cafeteria.  

Weevil had fallen into a routine. He went to school and he came to the hospital. He went home at least long enough to shower and change clothes. He hadn't worked at his uncle's shop since the accident. And he only saw Felix and the other guys at school. It was like his world came to a halt the day of the crash. While I had been in a coma, he had been practically sleepwalking through his life.

I was thankful to those who helped keep him going during that time – primarily Letty and a few family members, plus Mac, Felix, and my dad. They made sure he went to school, kept up with his assignments, ate a few times a day, and that he got some sleep. My dad mentioned that the nurses made a point of not waking Weevil if he fell asleep, even if it was after visiting hours. They would put a blanket over him, turn the lights down, and make sure that nobody bothered him.

Before the accident, I had joined FBLA and had taken Mac and Weevil with me to the first meeting, since they were in business together. They continued going to meetings while I was in the hospital. Apparently, their little venture was flourishing. The income from that helped offset his lack of hours working at his uncle's shop.

**~*~**

Although Dad had used many words to fill me in on the fifteen days I was out of commission, I could tell that Dad was holding something back. I finally had to push him to get him to tell me.

He had to postpone a book trip to Chicago. Disappointing on two counts: the obvious (the book was doing well and they wanted to keep the momentum going) and because he was planning on taking Alicia for a romantic getaway. Now that I'm awake, he could start to think about rescheduling that.

Also, Woody Goodman asked him to run for mayor, but he turned him down. I told him he was crazy and should reconsider, but he insisted that he liked his life the way it was and had no desire to dive back into the political end of the crime-solving pool.

He saved a bombshell for last: Mom had contacted Dad through Cliff to work out the terms of their divorce. She didn't want Cliff to tell Dad how to reach her yet. So, he communicated with her through Cliff to get the paperwork moving. He also passed on information about the accident and my condition. The reply she gave to Cliff was that she couldn't come at the moment, but to keep her informed. Even though he had let her know that I was awake, she still hadn't come to see me or gotten in touch with us directly. Cliff did say that she sounded happy about the news that her daughter would recover. I guess that's something.

**~*~**

In other news …

Logan decided that the deaths of several classmates and a teacher were a good excuse to throw a big bash. Within a week of the accident, he shelled out a bunch of cash to host his "Life's Short" party. Apparently, the PCHers crashed it while Weevil was at the hospital visiting me. Felix told him there was a drink named in my honor: "Mars' Misery." It was a variation on a "Corpse Reviver." Mighty thoughtful of my 09er buddies.

**~*~*~**

One day, Duncan came to see me. At first, I thought it was just an ordinary visit complete with flower arrangement, but after we talked for a while, he began to fidget. Knowing him as well as I do, I knew he was trying to work up the nerve to say something – something he needed to say and yet couldn't quite bring himself to put into words. When I finally coaxed it out of him, I understood why he'd had such a hard time getting the words out and also why he was coming to me.

He – like so many before him – had come to ask me for a favor.

Back in the spring after he broke up with Meg, she got a positive result on a pregnancy test, but didn't tell him until they got back together after school started this fall. But before she told him about that, she asked for his help – saying that one of the kids she babysat for was being abused. Once she told him about the pregnancy, she came clean about the abused child – or rather, children. Meg and her sisters.

Now, her biggest concern – and Duncan's – was what her parents would do when they found out she's pregnant. Not just what they would do to her, but also the baby. She didn't want to give it up, but she didn't have a clue how to combat whatever her parents would throw at her.

Duncan pleaded for my help. "Veronica, what are we gonna do? I'm not sure how my parents will react – you know, whether they would help financially. But I expect there's gonna be some huge legal fees in my future – to get Meg out of that house, to make sure they don't try to take the baby away from us. I knew they were controlling, but the things she's told me recently … How can people who look so normal be such monsters?"

"I don't know. I wish I did. There are far too many people like that in the world. More than a few of them are in Neptune."

"Can you help me?"

"From my hospital bed?"

"You must have some idea where I can start."

I had him come back the next day – after I'd had some time to think and also to talk to my dad. The end result was that Dad agreed to help. And he planned to enlist the help of Cliff on the legal end and Mac for some cyber-snooping. Once he had something solid, he'd go to Lamb with the evidence.

Although I wanted to be involved, obviously I couldn't do anything right now. I had to wonder if Meg knew that Duncan had come to me. And if she did, how did she feel about that?

I wouldn't know, because she hadn't been by to see me.

**~*~*~**

The day after Duncan came, I had another surprise visitor: Leo. He dropped in to say he was glad that I was going to be okay. He brought me a bouquet of helium balloons, one of which had a picture of a kid holding a balloon while sticking out his tongue. The words on it read: "I have a balloon and you don't." He didn't stay long; there wasn't much for us to say.

On his way out of my room, Leo bumped into Weevil. I could hear their voices just outside my door. Leo was being polite, but Weevil's tone of voice made it clear that he did not want Leo here.

When Weevil finally came in, he tried to pretend that he wasn't upset, but I could tell that he was. I reached out for him. Once he took my hand, I pulled him toward me and told him that Leo had only been there for a minute.

"What did he want?"

"Settle down. He just brought me balloons. That's all."

"Like when Duncan gave you that fortune cookie on your birthday?"

"Not exactly." I could tell he was waiting for me to explain. "Duncan was hoping for me to respond to his gesture, for me to want to be with him. Leo was just … being a friend. No expectations, no strings attached – well, okay, there are strings on the balloons. But even if he was hoping for something, my heart belongs to someone else."

Then, he kissed me.

And I never got tired of his kisses.

**~*~*~**

My BFF Wallace visited as often as he could. One time, he brought his brother with him. Darrell had seen the bus crash in the news. Even though Wallace and Alicia told him that I was okay, he wanted to see for himself. A skeptic after my own heart.

The nurses found some copies of Highlights Magazine in the waiting room and rounded up as much Jell-O as they could find. That kept him occupied while Wallace and I talked. When they were leaving, Darrell asked Wallace when he could come back again. Apparently, he thought hospitals were fun.

**~*~*~**

When Mac visited, she had some big family news of her own. She began by telling me that within a week or so of the crash, there had been funerals for everyone who had died in the bus crash. Including Madison. It took a minute for me to realize why that would have any significance to her.

While the Sinclairs were planning the funeral, they contacted the MacKenzies as a courtesy to ask if they wanted to be part of the process. They declined, but said they would certainly attend and would like an opportunity to talk with the Sinclairs at some point about their biological daughter and see photos of her all-too-brief life. Mac said that all of her parents had met once already and planned to have the siblings join the next time.

It was all a little strange to her that these two couples had not previously wanted to interact with each other or their real children, but now that one of them had died, they wanted everyone to join together in some weird Brady Bunch blended family. Mac said she thought it would be weird for her brother and Madison's sister, but she would like to get to know the Sinclairs and they seemed to want to know her too. The MacKenzies weren't threatened by it as much as some people would be. Maybe, they've bonded over the loss of a shared child and are willing to share the one who is still living.

**~*~*~**

A few days after I woke up, I began to have more symptoms related to my concussion. When I had long conversations, I got very tired – physically and mentally. Sometimes, my speech would become slurred and I would have trouble with my coordination. Sleep – even just resting quietly – helped. But I never got complete quiet. There was always some sound in the room or close by on my floor of the hospital. The best I could do was make sure the tv was turned off, door shut, blinds closed, and any visitors sworn to silence. Although my brain had decided it was time to be awake, I guess it just wasn't ready to be bombarded with stimuli.

By the end of my first week awake, I found that being read to did not cause sensory overwhelm, as long as the person wasn't reading me the news. So, Weevil continued reading The Princess Bride to me, even though he had already finished it for English class. I told him it would be good review for the test. I would close my eyes and listen – more to the sound of his voice than the words themselves. Best audiobook ever.

Sometimes, I would fall asleep without meaning to. The next time he read, we would have to backtrack to figure out that last thing I'd heard him read. He never seemed to mind.

The lovely hospital staff decided that they couldn't part with me quite yet and I would have to stay at least another week, just to be certain that I was okay to go home. Dad and I met with several specialists and therapists to talk about the transition to my normal everyday life. They gave us handouts with information and lists – many, many lists. What to look for, when to be concerned enough to call the doctor, keeping notes between appointments, coping strategies for any lingering cognitive issues, determining when I would return to school and other normal activities, and simple exercises to do at home. I'm sure there was more, but at some point, I tuned out and let my dad worry about remembering what they were saying.

Those additional days were a blur of activity alternating with periods of rest. My daily walks had initially been strolls down the hallway and back to my room. I worked up to outdoor walks with a short break to sit on a bench in the garden. Usually, that time included conversation with either Dad or Weevil. But the exhausting days came when they stepped up my schedule to include physical therapy to strengthen muscles and help with my balance issue, as well as vision therapy which included coping strategies for when I got back to school.

I was surprised how tired my brain got from going to therapy sessions or even from simply reading – any time I had to concentrate on a task. If I continued too long, my vision would get blurry and my coordination would suffer – primarily, slurring my words and dropping things. The doctors and therapists kept reminding me that I would need to learn to pace myself and be patient. They believed that most, if not all, of my symptoms would subside in time. The scans they had done of my brain didn't show any significant damage, but as I had quickly found out, even what is referred to as a "mild" traumatic brain injury can have an impact on your daily activities and your life as a whole.

On days when I was more tired, I was also more forgetful. I needed more sleep than normal. Normal – I'm not sure I ever really knew what that was. But everyone at the hospital kept saying two things: I was "lucky to be alive" and I might need to "accept a new normal." The prospect that my life would be changed as a result of the accident did not scare me … exactly. I'd been through change before and survived.

What did worry me was that every once in a while when someone was talking to me – usually Dad or Weevil or Wallace – they would talk about something that happened in the past couple years, assuming that I knew what they were talking about, but they should not have been so quick to assume. Much of the time I did remember the things they were talking about. But sometimes I didn't.

It made me paranoid about what memories I might have lost. And made me wonder if I would get them back.

Dad and I had watched enough old episodes of Quantum Leap for certain terminology from the show to creep into my personal lexicon. "Swiss cheese memory" was one of those terms. I didn't understand what Sam Beckett meant until now.

There were holes in my memory.

I had talked about it with one of my doctors. He said he was not concerned – yet. Getting home, being in familiar surroundings might help. Again, he encouraged me to be patient.

Clearly, these people did not know who they were talking to. I wanted a solution. That's what I did – I solved things. I found this lack of control unnerving.

**~*~*~**

I had convinced Dad that he should go to Chicago before my release from the hospital. That way, he wouldn't have to worry about me taking care of myself while he was gone. He got the trip lined up quickly and Alicia was able to get the days off.

While he was away, there was still plenty going on in Neptune. Someone had approached Weevil about a drug purchase – making it sound like the PCHers were dealing. Weevil figured that this had to lead back to Thumper, but he needed proof. As a favor to me, Duncan helped him find out who was selling drugs at school. Duncan had Dick ask the PCHers where he could score some E. Hector sold to Dick, but when asked about it, he claimed it wasn't a regular thing. He told Weevil that when Dick asked, he went and bought from Sean. Then, he turned around and sold to Dick. So, Weevil and Felix weren't sure how any of this fit together with what they already knew and suspected.

As Weevil told me how all that had played out, I heard something in his tone. I knew things were getting more serious – as if they hadn't already been plenty serious. He didn't want to go into details about how Felix and he were going to handle things. But he did want to talk about how they planned to protect me.

They had two plans worked out. The first option was the best one, but would only work if they were able to choose the timing. The other was more like an escape hatch – you know, a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency type of plan. The way things were going, he and I both expected we'd be pulling a ripcord on a moment's notice.

**~*~*~**

A few days before I was released, Dad returned from Chicago safe and sound. One of my last evenings in the hospital, Dad was flipping through channels while I ate my dinner. He stumbled upon a movie he had seen years ago and it apparently made a big impression on him. We had only missed the first few minutes. After Dad gave a quick synopsis to Weevil and I, we quietly watched A Bronx Tale.

About halfway through, Weevil got a call from his grandma. She needed his help at home.

Leaning over my bed, he gave me a goodbye kiss. He shook Dad's hand as he was leaving.

Dad mumbled something about renting the movie once I was home. I knew why. He wanted Weevil to see the end of it. There was a lesson in there that Dad was hoping he would learn before it was too late.

The movie was based on an autobiographical play by Chazz Palminteri. There were some quotable moments. Early in the movie, when the main character was 9 years old, his father says to him, "The saddest thing in life is wasted talent. You could have all the talent in the world, but if you don't do the right thing, then nothing happens. But when you do right, good things happen."

As he grows up, his loyalty is torn between his father and the neighborhood crime boss. At the same time, his life is also affected by the racial tensions of the late 1960s. In the end, he learns some lessons the hard way.

In the closing moments of the movie, he talks about those lessons: "I learned to give love and get love unconditionally – you just have to accept people for what they are. And I learned the greatest gift of all: the saddest thing in life is wasted talent. And the choices that you make will shape your life forever."

Yeah, there was definitely a reason Dad wanted Weevil to see the rest of the movie.

After he turned off the tv, Dad told me about something that happened while he and Alicia were in Chicago. As they were leaving a jazz club, a man seemed to recognize her and tried to talk to her, calling her by another name. When Dad asked, she got really uncomfortable, but she did tell him who the man was.

"Now, honey, I realize that everything I've just said is going to make you want more information, but—"

"Seriously, Dad?"

"You're gonna have to trust me on this, sweetie. I can't give you more than that right now. Alicia has some things she needs to talk to Wallace about. It would be wrong for me to tell you before he knows. As close as the two of you are, I'm sure that he will talk to you about it when the time comes."

**~*~*~**

The day I got out of the hospital, several doctors and nurses who weren't even on duty showed up to see me off. I was not sad at all when they said they never wanted to see me back there again. Honestly, I never wanted to see another hospital as long as I lived.

Dad had taken the accumulated cards and flowers home the night before. I still had some stuff to pack up before leaving, but at least Dad would only need to make one trip to the car.

By the time all the paperwork was taken care of and I was rolled out the exit, it was just after 5 pm. As Dad was driving me home, I asked if we could stop to pick up dinner. He declined my request, saying that there was food at home. When we walked through the door of the apartment, it became clear why he wouldn't stop at my favorite restaurant.

I was greeted by quite the welcoming committee. Weevil opened the door and immediately pulled me into his arms, as everyone else yelled, "Welcome Home!"

All the flowers and balloons that had been in my hospital room were now in our living room. Dad had hung up the get well cards the way we would hang Christmas cards at the holidays. With our place all decked out, it felt like I walked into a party, because I did.

Dad carried my bag to my room while I received a series of hugs. Then, everyone went back to what they had been doing. Mac was in the kitchen pouring drinks. Wallace and Darrell were on the couch playing cards. Alicia was arranging serving dishes on the counter. Letty was standing at the stove cooking something that smelled delicious.

There was a pile of gifts and cards, but I was too exhausted to deal with them. I simply thanked everyone and said I was going to wait until the next day to open them.

After filling my belly with the best food I'd had in over a month, I curled up on the couch and watched everyone visiting with each other. Weevil sat down next to me, covered me up with a blanket, and put his arm around me. He kissed the top of my head and whispered, "You should rest now,  _mi vida_."

Despite the noise around us, I fell asleep on his shoulder. I'm not sure how much later it was when I awoke. At first, I assumed that my dad had carried me back to my bed, but as I was lowered to the mattress, I realized it was Weevil.

He kissed me on the forehead and said, "Sweet dreams, Sleeping Beauty."

As I fell back to sleep, I could hear Dad and Weevil talking in the living room. The last thing I remember hearing was the front door opening and closing.

* * *

_mi vida_ = my life (term of endearment)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the first part of the movie A Bronx Tale (1993), the main character (at age 9) was played by Francis Capra.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains bits of #2.3 "Cheatty Cheatty Bang Bang" and #2.4 "Green-Eyed Monster"

My first several days at home, it seemed that all I did was rest and answer a revolving door of guests.

One day, Wallace came by to talk. He filled in the gaps that Dad had left in his version of the trip to Chi-town. A few sentences into his ramble, I understood why my dad hadn't told me more. The man who had recognized Alicia was Nathan Woods, her ex-husband – and Wallace's real father. His mom explained how messed up his father got, why she left him and changed her name. When she married Hank Fennel, he adopted Wallace. Nathan Woods had written letters to Wallace that Alicia never showed him. She admitted that she should have told him sooner, but considering the stuff his dad had gotten himself into, she thought she was protecting Wallace.

The way he told it, he and his mom had yelled quite a bit before they calmed down enough to talk it through. Then, there were hugs and tears.

He was still upset that she had waited so long to tell him, but he knew his mom loved him, which meant she had probably just done what she thought best at the time. He also knew Hank Fennell had loved him as if he were his own.

When I asked why she had told him now, he said mostly because she saw him in Chicago and got thinking about him again. But he also thought she was concerned that he would try to track her down.

After Wallace finished telling me about his family drama, he told me about the time he'd been spending with Jackie. Hanging out, making out. It seemed to be getting serious and I hadn't even met her yet. I tried to keep an open mind, but part of me was itching to do a background check.

Since Dad was working, I invited Wallace to stay for dinner. Right after I ordered the pizza, I went back into my bathroom and called Alicia to let her know that Wallace was going to be at my place for a while. She said that she figured that he had gone to see me and thanked me for calling so she could stop worrying.

After the pizza arrived, I settled in on the couch next to my BFF to watch tv. When there was a knock at the door, Wallace got up to answer it. Weevil was expecting to see me when the door opened.

Wallace moved to the side and pointed to the pizza. "Help yourself, man." Then, he walked back to the couch and snuggled in beside me again.

As Weevil was picking up a slice, he glanced over and saw the two of us cozied up on the couch. I saw the look in his eyes. I knew that he didn't have a problem with Wallace directly, but clearly did not like to share me with someone else.

When Weevil went to the fridge to get something to drink, I whispered to Wallace, "Can you move to the chair?"

"Why?"

With a head tilt toward the kitchen, I mouthed the word “please.”

He nodded in understanding just before getting up to get another piece of pizza. While he was up, Weevil walked toward me with a question in his eyes.

I smiled and patted the cushion next to me. "Have a seat." I curled into his side, sighing as I said, "I'm so glad you're here." Kissing his cheek, I whispered, "I'll explain later. He had a rough day."

He set his plate down and turned to me. He took my face in his hands and began to kiss me.

Wallace groaned. "Seriously?! Like I'm not subjected to enough of this when our parents are together?"

Weevil growled his response. "If it bothers you, you are free to leave."

Smacking Weevil's arm, I said to Wallace, "You're welcome to stay … as long as you want. But don't be surprised when my possessive boyfriend kisses me."

Picking up his plate, Weevil put one arm around my shoulders and settled in beside me. "What she said."

For all the playful bickering, there was no tension in the room. I was thankful for that. We watched the rest of the movie in near silence. Dad came home just before the credits rolled.

"Sweetie, I don't mean to break up this wild party of yours, but it's getting late and you need to …"

"Get your rest," Weevil finished Dad's thought.

Wallace stood first and leaned over to give me a hug. As I walked him to the door, Dad said goodnight and excused himself, walking back to the bathroom. That gave Weevil and I a moment alone.

"I'm sorry. I know you probably came over expecting that we'd have the apartment to ourselves. But Wallace just found out some stuff. Stuff that was hard to swallow. It's not my place to tell you details. He just needed a friend."

"That why you two were all cuddly on the couch?"

I nodded.

"And there's really never been anything between you two?"

"No – not the way you mean. Do I love him? Yes. He's like the brother I never had." Then, I pressed my lips against his. "What I feel for you is definitely not sisterly."

His arms wrapped around me and he deepened the kiss. "I don't like sharing you. Not with your dad or Wallace." At that moment, Backup came up and pressed himself against our legs, trying to work his way between us. "Not even Backup."

"Yeah, I got that."

"But I am willing to put up with it. A small amount of it. I wouldn't normally, but …"

"But what?"

"You're worth it."

My eyes got misty and I sighed. "You say the sweetest things."

**~*~*~**

The next day, Weevil came over for a couple hours. Finally having some time alone, I assumed he would immediately get up close and personal. But apparently, he had been wanting to talk to me for days – just didn't want to get into this in front of other people.

Letty's new doctor was able to get to the root of the health problems she had been having. After exhausting all the options he could think of, he called a long-time colleague to talk it through and get a new perspective on her case. His old friend suggested running a test for heavy metals. Turns out, that friend is a genius, because her test came back with toxic levels of three metals. The highest level – and likely the cause of most of her symptoms – was lead.

The doctor had Weevil and the other kids in the house tested also. They had 'above normal' levels of lead, but not nearly as high as Letty's. He hypothesized that an underlying condition could have compromised her body's ability to flush the heavy metals from her system. Weevil mentioned to him that she drank more water than anyone else in the house. If it was coming from the pipes, that would mean that she was ingesting more than the others. They were going to have the water at the house tested later in the week.

Also, the research her doctor had done showed that some imported candy contained lead that leached into the candy from the ink in the wrapper. Turns out, her favorite candy from Mexico had one of the highest levels of lead.

At least, they now had some idea of how to treat her. For one thing, she would have to find a new favorite candy. The doctor would be starting chelation treatment at her next appointment, scheduled for a few days from now. Chelation would remove the metals from her system. He recommended that Weevil and the other kids go through a shorter treatment cycle and then do follow-up testing. The doctor was concerned about how the lead might be affecting their school performance.

If it turned out that the water at the house had toxic levels of lead, they would need to filter not only the water they drink, but also what they use to prepare food. The doctor even mentioned getting a filter for the showerhead. He strongly suggested that they talk to their landlord about the pipes and that they might need to move.

So … good news, bad news? They know what's wrong with Letty and it's treatable. But it would not get better overnight and there was the possibility of a move in their future.

When he was finished with the health update, he walked over to the kitchen and poured a glass of water from the filter pitcher we used.

Staring at the glass, he said, "They tell you to drink plenty of water … that it's good for your health. Then, you find out that depending on what neighborhood you live in … and how old the pipes are … the water can actually make you sick. One more thing that's not fair."

He settled in next to me, leaning against my shoulder. I hadn't seen him this exhausted in a while. Folding a section of the blanket on my lap to make a pillow, I told him lie down and put his head on my legs. He didn't even try to argue with me. The position he ended up in – on his side, but leaning a bit forward – allowed me to rub his back.

Not long after, he fell asleep. I sat there thinking about many things, including the fact that if I ever got married, this was the type of relationship I wanted to have with my husband – that we would take care of each other. Even when both of our lives seemed to be under attack. We would be on the same team. No. Matter. What.

With everything he had going on – his grandma's health and helping out at home, whatever Thumper was into, finishing high school when most people expected him to fail – he was still here for me through everything that had happened in the past several months. For nearly a year, he had been one of the few people I could count on.

Sitting here with him – being a safe place for him to talk and rest – it felt good to be able to do something for someone else for a change. It felt good to be alive and have the opportunity to do it. I would need to remind myself of that every time even a whisper of survivor's guilt crept into my mind. I might never know why I had lived and the others had died, but since I'm still here, it was my responsibility to do something with this life of mine.

**~*~*~**

About a week later, Letty showed up on our doorstep. I was in my bedroom, but I overheard most of what she said to my dad.

Letty began, "You are busy. Many things to do. But your precious daughter is home and that is most important. And a great joy." She paused. "This week, every time I cooked a meal, I doubled the recipe and froze the extra." A bag rattled. "For your freezer. Should be enough for two weeks of dinner. Less than that if Eli joins you."

As she finished talking, I wandered out from my bedroom. "Hello, Mrs. Navarro. It's nice to see you."

She took a few steps toward me about gently pulled me into a hug. "Veronica, it looks like you're feeling better."

"You must be feeling better too if you're doing all this extra cooking. Knowing I get to eat your cooking for days on end? That makes me feel better." I started to unload the bag of food and rearranged the freezer to get everything to fit. "Thank you for all of this."

My dad added, "Yes, Letty, thank you, but you really didn't have to do this."

"I disagree. You and Veronica are important to Eli. He's different – still changing, but so different than even a year ago. You both have done so much for him. What I have done for you is small compared to that." She patted the side of my face affectionately.

It was easy to see where Weevil got his protective tendencies. Also, his tender, loving side. In that moment, I wished that she was my grandma. For all the not-so-good things in Weevil's life, when it came to his grandma, he was blessed.

While my thoughts meandered, Dad acknowledged that he had seen the change in Weevil, too. "Since you're here, would you like to stay for a few minutes? I just made some coffee."

When I finished loading up the freezer, I excused myself and went back to my room, leaving them to talk. It was obvious that Letty was grateful to my dad for being a male role model for her grandson.

I didn't know if Weevil and I would be together long term. I mean, how many high school relationships go the distance? But right now, Weevil and I were together. By extension, I gained a grandma and he gained a father. For all the bad things that had happened in my life the past few years, it seemed like God might be on my side recently – surviving the bus crash and being surrounded by people who not only cared about me, but took care of me.

**~*~**

Mac dropped by later that same evening. She had texted me to tell me that she had gone over to the Sinclair house for dinner, but she wanted to give me the full update in person.

"It was strange. You know? I mean, I talked to Lauren alone in their library when we crashed Madison's birthday party. And I talked to Ellen, my bio mom, when I went back to get my purse. But the only time I had met Charles, my bio dad, was when both families got together."

She took a long pause, playing with the sleeve of her sweater. I just waited until she was ready to continue.

Finally, she said, "It was strange, but nice. Getting a taste of what it would have been like to be part of that family. It felt like coming home … and at the same time, I was so angry. Looking at the vacation photos they have around the house, seeing everywhere they had traveled … the museums alone could make me spit nails. No way did Madison appreciate what she had. And it wasn't even hers. Not really." She grabbed a pillow and started to pound out her frustration. Then, she hugged it to her chest. "I know they feel bad – not just because Madison is dead, obviously they're grieving – but when they all saw how naturally I fit in with them …" She sighed. "I think they realize that the choice they all made as parents was not the right choice for the kids. At least, not for this kid. I can tell that they feel guilty. But they also don't want to press too hard to get to know me. Like, it'll scare me off … or Sam and Natalie will put a stop to it."

"Are you going to see them again?"

"Yeah. They have a weekly family game night. They gave me an open invitation to show up if I don't have anything else on my calendar."

"That's cool." I said it almost like a question, because I couldn't tell if she was okay with it or not.

"Yeah. It is. But I have a feeling the more I get to know them, the more complicated my life is going to be. One family is hard enough to deal with. Balancing two sets of parents plus siblings? Add in the swapped at birth angle? Uber-complex."

"No argument here. But Mac? You excel at all things uber-complex." I wrapped my arms around her and told her that everything would be okay.

"Thanks. I was hoping you'd know what to say."

**~*~*~**

The next afternoon, Weevil came over after school. We were on the couch and he had pulled me into his lap, straddling his legs. Just as things were getting hot and heavy, I heard my phone ringing. I had left it on my desk, so I needed to get up to answer it.

After I picked it up and started talking, I sat down on my desk chair. When I ended the call, I looked up to see him leaning against the wall.

"V, what is it?"

Pointing at my phone, I said, "That? Nothing. Can you get me a glass of water?"

When he returned with the water, he knelt in front of me. "Are you okay?"

"Yes ... No ... Not sure."

"Talk to me,  _nena_."

"I was just a little lightheaded. But there is something that I should probably …" I paused, considering where to begin. "Only if you promise not to get upset. And not to say anything to my dad. For right now, at least."

"Talk,” he said in his gentle command tone of voice.

"I told my doctor about this, but not anyone else." I knew that I should tell him, but I was still hesitant. "There are times … when you or Dad … or even Mac and Wallace … are talking … reminiscing about things that have happened …"

When I didn't continue, he prompted me, "V?"

"Sometimes, I don't know what you're talking about." I could tell by his expression that he did not understand what I meant. "There are holes in my memory."

"What did the doctor say?"

"That he wasn't concerned … yet. Thought that once I got home – in a familiar environment – that things would come back to me."

"You talked to him when you were still in the hospital? And you're just telling me this now?"

"Yes. I didn't want you or Dad to worry. Any more than you already were … are."

"I'd ask what you don't remember … so that I could fill in the gaps for you … but that would be a silly question. How could you tell me what you can't remember?" He studied my eyes as if trying to search for my lost memories there. "Why bring this up now?"

"I need to ask you about something."

Still kneeling, he put his hands on my knees and inched closer to me, moving between my thighs. "Anything."

"My birthday. The surprise you planned for me. Were we in one of the state rooms?"

"You don't remember? Yes, we changed before going out on the deck to the jacuzzi. After that, we came back inside to shower and change clothes."

"I have a picture in my mind … a single image ... of us on the bed."

He nodded and waited for me to continue.

"Did we …" Unable to finish my question, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and tried again. "Did we … have sex that day?"

"No."

Opening my eyes, I asked, "Have we … ever …?"

"No."

"Earlier … when we were out on the couch … things started … getting …" I looked away. "It seemed like you … were expecting …"

" _Cariño_ , no. Not expecting. Wanting, yes. Expecting, no."

He held my face in his hands, his thumbs stroking my cheeks. His touch settled my nerves.

"Did we ever talk about … when we would?"

"No."

"But when we were out there … you were … um. It doesn't bother you that we stopped?"

"No. I'm just so damn happy you're alive—"

"But isn't it … I don't know … physically uncomfortable for you."

He shrugged. "So, I'll take a long shower when I get home."

"You mean … you …?"

"I think the word you're looking for is masturbate." He seemed amused by my reaction. "I'm a teenage guy, V."

Curiosity got the better of me and the question was out of my mouth before I could stop it. "What do you think about?"

"You. What else?" Brushing my hair away from my face, he said, "Trust me, I'm looking forward to when we finally sleep together. Those fantasies keep me plenty busy."

"Should we talk about … when?" Just as I got the question out, we heard my dad come in the door.

"Some other time."

We listened as Dad's footsteps came down the hallway and into my room.

"Eli." He did not seem happy to find us alone together in my room.

"Sheriff."

"What's going on?"

"Mac called. As I was getting off the phone with her, I got a little lightheaded. He just brought me some water and was making sure I was okay before I tried to stand up."

Dad's eyes went back and forth between our faces and the phone and glass of water on my desk. "But you're feeling better?"

"Yes."

"Because I need to go back out for a little while. Unless you need me to stay here."

"I can stay," Weevil said. "For a while anyway."

"I should only be an hour. Text me if you need to leave before I get back."

Weevil was still in front of me after Dad left. My eyes were drawn to a tattoo on his neck.

"Have I seen all your tattoos?"

He nodded. "That day on the boat."

"I don't remember. Can I see them now?"

He hesitated before taking off his shirt. "I need to tell you something. Something I told you that day." Taking my hands, his tone turned serious. "You remember about me and Lilly?"

"Yes. When she and Logan broke up. Letters. Spy pen retrieved from her bedroom."

"Okay. Good. Anyway … what I told you that day … about a year after she died, I got a tattoo."

"Show me."

He blinked in surprise and let out a small laugh as he said, "That's exactly what you said that day on the boat."

Standing up, he pulled his tshirt off over his head.

I stood and traced the ones on his chest and arms. "Where is it?"

He turned just enough for me to see it, while still being able to look over his shoulder to watch my face.

It was bigger than I expected. My hand moved involuntarily to touch the letters that spelled the name of my best friend, his former lover. Making eye contact with him, I placed my hands on the side of his torso, wordlessly asking him to turn more. Now able to see his whole back, my hands explored the skin before me. I felt him shiver under my touch. Suddenly, I had urges I couldn't quite explain.

I leaned against his back and wrapped my arms around his abdomen. With my cheek pressed into the back of his shoulder, I let out a happy sigh. As comfortable and natural as it felt being like this, I would have expected him to say that we had slept together.

His hand rubbed up and down my forearm. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I am."

He turned around and began to kiss me. I walked him over to the bed and nudged him until he sat down.

"What are you doing, V?"

"I was hoping you'd hold me while I rest for a while." My hormones wanted more than that, but for now, that would be enough.

"Hold you? Lying in your bed … after you got me half-naked?"

A giggle escaped my mouth and I could tell that I was blushing. "Yes."

"How about … I put the shirt back on … and we go out to the couch? That way if we fall asleep and your dad comes home …"

He was right, of course. My dad would not be happy to find us in my bed. In any state of dress.

Once we were curled up on the couch, I said with my cheek on his chest, "One of these days, we should talk about when."

"We will,  _querida_."

Logan had appropriately named his party. Life is short. I knew that better than most people my age. And there were some things I wanted to experience before I died. The body of my hot biker boyfriend was one of those things. I'm told it's legendary.

While he held me on the couch, he asked a series of questions. I was thankful that my face was resting on his chest. If I had to look him in the eye for this discussion, it would have been more difficult.

He asked if I remembered Club Mojo. I told him that I remembered the name from the missing person case.

"But not going there?"

"I was there?"

"Once." He seemed surprised and concerned. "Do you remember doing surveillance from across the street?"

I told him that I remembered that we solved the case, but not much more than that.

"Do you remember the night Aaron Echolls was arrested?"

"I found the tapes in Lilly's room. We were on your bike. He ran us off the road. We went into the woods. He shot your ear."

"What about talking to your dad after he got there?"

"About us seeing each other? Yes."

There was a long pause. He must have been deciding what else he wanted to ask me.

"Helping me get my poker winnings back?"

"Mm-hmm."

"What about hanging out at Rest Stop 15? Do you remember that, Betty?"

"No."

"Really? Polly the parrot? Spending the day at Pan High? Nothing?"

I had no clue what he was talking about.

"What about the undercover agent who was here to find out who was behind the bomb threats?"

"Yes."

"Logan kissing you at the Camelot? Our conversation at the beach after that?"

Lifting my head to look into his eyes, I said, "Yes. And the bike ride before you brought me home."

"How much do you remember about the talks with Felix and I about the problems we're having with Thumper?"

Before answering, I put my head back down. "I called Felix after he made me uncomfortable a couple times. Then, the three of us talked. Here … and in the warehouse."

"Anything else?"

"I know that there's more to it, but you haven't told me much … to protect me." I traced the logo on his tshirt with my fingertip as I asked, "Does counsel have any other questions for this witness?"

"Yes. Where and when was our first public kiss?"

"Last spring. In the hallway at school. Surrounded by shocked faces." Changing my tone to playful and flirtatious, I added, "I also seem to recall some clandestine meetings in the shop. Not sure how many of those there were."

He laughed at that. "Yeah. There were a few of those. But we met in the bathroom more often."

After that, he went quiet for a while.

Finally, I spoke up. "That's a lot of questions. Gonna tell me what you think I ought to remember about being at the club?"

I'm not entirely sure that he would have answered my question right then, but he didn't get a chance to because Dad was at the door.

Quickly, he said, "Another time. Your dad knows some of it, but not all."

As Dad stepped into the apartment, he nodded and said, "Eli. How's our girl doing?"

It warmed my heart that he said “our” not “my girl.”

Weevil shifted to sit up and then stand, leaving me to stretch out on the couch. "Seems to be fine, but she hasn't been up on her feet much since you left."

Looking over at me, my father said, "We need to be sure to tell your doctor about this at your next appointment."

I rolled my eyes as I said, "Yes, Dad." But I knew he was right to be concerned.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains bits of #2.4 "Green-Eyed Monster" and #2.5 "Blast From the Past"

A couple days later, Weevil and I had a chance to finish the conversation my dad had interrupted. It began with more questions.

"Do you remember Shelly's party … and when you went around school interrogating everyone who was there?"

"Obviously, I don't remember much about the party. I do remember finding out about the GHB and questioning people at school."

"After you were done with your investigation, you told me what you found out, but you left out a key piece of information."

"Why are you so sure I left something out?"

"Because you told me later."

He took both my hands in his and proceeded to tell me about the night I went to the club by myself and how he showed up to help. He spoke in vague terms about what happened while we were there. We ducked into the women's restroom to hide from a couple of the Fitzpatricks who were there. Apparently, an armed pervert followed us into the bathroom.

Again, I found myself in a situation where I was being told that I had been intimate with someone – and I had no memory of it. It was disturbing enough once. But twice?

After giving me a moment to absorb, Weevil continued, "After we got out of there, we rode my bike to the beach. The guys brought your car and took my bike. Then, you and I sat there for a while and talked. I knew you were upset by what had happened. I thought it was just about the creep with the gun, but then, you told me the part you had left out."

When he didn't continue, I asked, "What did I tell you?"

"That when you were with Duncan at Shelly's party … it wasn't just the first and only time you had been with him … it was the only time you had been with anyone."

"I left that part out?"

"Yeah. And if I had known that …" His thought trailed off, unfinished.

We sat there for quite a while – his arms wrapped around me, my head on his shoulder. It gave me time to process.

**~*~*~**

For almost twenty-four hours, thoughts swirled around in my mind. Having Weevil tell me that I had forgotten such an eventful evening … well, it was unsettling. What other memories had I lost?

When Mac dropped by the next day, I asked her if she ever remembered hearing Weevil and I say “I love you” to each other. I tried to ask the question without having to come out and admit the memory loss issue, but she wanted to know why I was asking and wouldn't let it go until I answered her. I told her just enough to satisfy her.

Finally, she answered my question. "You never said it when I was around. And you've never told me that you said it to each other."

Then, I begged her, "Please, don't say anything." Explaining that I hadn't talked to my dad about the memory loss and I didn't want Weevil to be paranoid about what I did and didn't remember about our relationship.

**~*~*~**

Those first days at home were boring; at the same time, annoying. Remembering the doctor's advice, I tried to pace myself and be patient, but everything was more difficult and took longer to do. The simplest things took too much thought and caused fatigue. When I was tired, I had issues with coordination and balance. One good thing: the site of the incision from my surgery was no longer sore.

Among the most frustrating things: not only were there still gaps in my memory, my short-term memory sucked. I forgot things. All. The. Time. So I made lists. But then, I would forget to look at the lists.

Normally, I would have filled hours of free time with watching tv or reading. Or doing any number of things on my computer. But reading bothered my eyes and gave me a headache. Plus, the doctor and vision therapist had told me to limit the amount of time I spent looking at screens – computer or tv.

Despite their recommendation, I did end up spending some time on my computer. One day, I was cleaning off my desk and found a list from before the accident. Among the things to do: print senior pictures and Navarro family portrait. I dug through everything on my desk and on my laptop until I found the photos and a list of what to print and who to give them to.

Little by little, I worked my way through the list. I took breaks. Many breaks. The seniors got first priority. Most people at school already had theirs. I did not want to make them wait any longer.

That task took a couple days. As I looked at the photos, I began to remember the days I had taken them. Bits and pieces came together to form complete memories – like tiles in a mosaic. Or pixels.

Before diving into all the Navarro family 8x10s and wallets, I took the time to print out a few of the photos for myself – ones of Weevil and I at the beach. I also printed one of him and Felix together with their bikes in the background. They were laughing and smiling – obviously, the best of friends.

All these memories were so precious. It bothered me that any of my memories were missing.

I had printed a few photos to give to Weevil the next time he was here. Also, I burned a CD of all the shots I had taken of the two of us, the PCHers, and his whole family. If he ever wanted to print any others, he would have them.

Once I was finished with that – and I took another break – I began on the family portraits.

Weevil came over while I was knee-deep in photo paper and ink cartridges. When he offered his help, the first task I gave him was to double-check that I had correctly labelled the envelopes containing senior portraits. It would be embarrassing to give someone the wrong photos.

He promised to take them to his house and let everyone know they could pick them up there.

The next thing I had him do was enter the list of Navarro family email addresses into my contacts. As soon as I had all the portraits printed, I would be able to send the .jpg to the people who requested it.

I asked him if anyone was upset that I hadn't gotten the pictures to them yet. He assured me that they were not, that they understood I had a lot to deal with right now. But I figured after making them wait, it would be better if everyone got the family portraits at the same time. I told him I thought I should have all of them done by the end of the week. He promised to pass that along – and to come back the next day to help me again.

When he was leaving, I handed him the pictures of us and one of him with Felix.

He thanked me, adding, "Your talent is wasted on cheating spouses."

**~*~*~**

In between printing photos that week, I tried to do a little baking. That should have been an easy task for me. It would have been before the accident. But as I kept finding out every day – in new and different ways – things that should be easy were now hard. It was incredibly frustrating.

I would forget where I was in the process. I would question whether or not I had included a particular ingredient. While measuring and stirring, my coordination problems were on full display. I burned a couple dozen – which was unusual for me. I even had to throw out one batch of dough, because upon tasting the batter, it was clear that I had put in too much of something, perhaps not enough of something else, or I had forgotten something altogether. Or maybe, all of the above.

Baking would normally be relaxing for me. A mindless activity. Like knitting. It had been therapeutic for me in the past. I hoped it would be again in the future. Because here in the present, it made me want to scream.

In general, I was frustrated and going a bit stir crazy.

Dad was busy trying to keep up with things at the office. His newest client was a jumpy (potential) fiancée – emotional, in great need of reassurance. His eyes rolled every time he talked about her, but it was easy money. I offered my assistance, but he wouldn't even let me help with research that could be done online.

Sometimes, Dad took me to my appointments – my many appointments. Physical therapy, vision therapy, cognitive therapy, checkups with my regular doctor and a specialist. But when he couldn't, there was a list of people who offered to take me. If it was after school hours, Wallace usually filled the role of my driver. During the day, several people took turns: Alicia, Letty, Natalie MacKenzie, and our neighbor Sylvia. Even Cliff took me to one appointment.

When Letty took me to appointments, she always had a deck of cards in her purse. We played her favorite game, Conquian, while we waited. We had occasionally played when she visited me in the hospital. At the time, I couldn't play for very long without getting tired. Now, I was able to get through an entire game. However, it was easier for me to focus if I was at home. The noise and lights in the doctor's office affected me quite a bit.

If someone other than Dad took me to an appointment, I had them stay in the waiting room. I took a written list of questions to ask and things to tell the doctor. And I recorded the appointment in case there was anything Dad should hear. I knew I wouldn't remember everything long enough to tell him.

After two weeks of outpatient treatment, my doctor cleared me to go back to school. I was thrilled. He wanted me to start with half days, but at least, I would get to see people who were not medical personnel. Although I understood his reasoning, I wasn't happy that the doctor didn't want me to drive yet.

**~*~*~**

Finally, the big day arrived: first day back at school. I tried to prepare myself for the faces I would see, as well as the faces I would never see at school again. I was gradually coming to terms with the deaths of the others on the bus. However, I wasn't naïve enough to think that being back at school would not bring up emotions. Because of that, I had promised Dad and Weevil – and myself – that if I felt overwhelmed, my first step would be to visit Miss James. Second step would be going home early, if needed.

Each morning, Wallace came to my apartment and drove my car to school. He not only planned to carry my books to and from the car, but also from my locker to each class. He had already spoken to his teachers, explaining that he would be a little late for class and would need to leave a few minutes early.

I guess there was reason to be concerned. The doctors had warned me that one of the symptoms of post-concussion syndrome was fatigue – so I needed to take it easy and make sure to get more rest than normal. Even though I would not be taking gym or chasing criminals anytime soon, Dad, Weevil, and Wallace were all trying to make sure that I did not overdo in any way. In a way, it was nice, but if they kept it up too long, I would undoubtedly feel smothered.

**~*~*~**

Later that week, Dad let me know that after some back and forth through Cliff, he and Mom had worked through all the details. The divorce papers had been filed. The process was all very civilized, so it shouldn't take long for everything to be finalized.

He seemed more relaxed than when Mom was here. Watching him with Alicia made me smile. It was good to see him so happy. If anyone deserved a solid, loving relationship, it was my dad.

**~*~*~**

On Friday, Deputy Sacks showed up at school to escort Duncan to the station for questioning. After school, Weevil dropped by my apartment to tell me what he knew. But he didn't have to, because Duncan showed up a few minutes later.

Taking one look at Duncan, I said, "Seems like you had quite an exciting day."

"And now I need a favor." Seeing my facial response, he added, "Yeah, I know. Another favor."

"Step into my office." Once all three of us were sitting in the living room – Weevil was not about to leave me alone with Duncan – I began by stating the obvious, "If what you're about to tell me is going to make it necessary for me to investigate something … then the two of you have to swear not to tell my dad."

They looked at one another and nodded.

Duncan proceeded to tell me that Lamb had questioned him about a body that had washed up on the beach. The last place the guy had been seen alive was outside a bar called The Road Hog – obviously not somewhere that Duncan frequented. When I asked him why Lamb had singled him out, he said that his name was written on the guy's hand in permanent marker.

Since he had turned eighteen, Lamb did not have to call Duncan's father. The reason he had come to me was that he was hoping he could figure out how the dead man – David "Curly" Moran – was connected to him before he talked to his dad.

I told Duncan that I would try do some research tonight and get back to him. After he left, I went to use the bathroom. When I returned to the living room, Weevil was pacing back and forth. I watched him as I got myself something to drink and a snack.

Seeing that he was not calming down, I asked cautiously, "Are you upset because Duncan was here? Because I'm not planning to tell my dad about this? Or—"

He stopped and held up a hand to get me to stop talking. "I didn't want to say anything until he left. But a few days after the bus crash, I got an anonymous call … actually, a voicemail saying that this guy – Curly Moran – was involved."

"Why call you and not the Sheriff's Department?"

"Don't know … maybe the person knew that I was connected to two of the people on the bus. And wanted me to make sure that the person responsible got what he deserved. No idea. I had no way of knowing if the tip was true and I wasn't gonna take the time to look into it while you were in the hospital."

Dad had dropped in for dinner, but was out most of the evening. Weevil and I sat side by side on the couch as I began the research I promised Duncan I'd do for him. Weevil was focused on his homework, except when I made a noise or a comment indicating that I found something interesting. Then, he would lean his head over to look at my laptop screen.

A quick Google search of the name David "Curly" Moran revealed that he was a stunt coordinator, most notable for a stunt he supervised and performed that coincidentally involved a tractor trailer being sent off a bridge. It was such a pivotal part of the 1982 thriller The Long Haul that an image of it was featured on the movie poster. And here's where we get within a few degrees of separation from Duncan: this action movie starred a young Aaron Echolls. Since Duncan did not recognize Curly's name when questioned by Sherriff Lamb, I had to assume that he did not know about the connection to Mr. Echolls.

As I read a detailed description of how the stunt was pulled off, it became clear that Curly had the skills to send a bus off a cliff. I just didn't know exactly how he had done it or why.

The only connection my brain could come up with was chilling.

Weevil had been reading over my shoulder. When I shivered in reaction to my last thought, he asked, "What?" When I didn't answer, he said something he had said before when I did not immediately respond to one of his questions: " _Dime. Ahora_."

Pressing my lips together, I steeled myself, knowing his reaction might be extreme. I turned my head and looked into his eyes. "I don't know who else had motive to kill someone on the bus, but …" I paused for a second. "Aaron Echolls certainly had motive to kill one person on that bus. Me."

I had only gotten part way through my statement when he caught up with my train of thought. I saw it in his eyes and felt his body tense.

 **"** ¡ _Mierda_!" He spat the word into his hand as he rubbed his jaw. Then, he said seriously, "We've got too many enemies."

Turning toward him, I leaned into his side as his arms embraced me. "When do we get to let down our guard?"

"In Neptune? Probably never."

There are very few things I hated more than feeling weak. But at moments like this, having Weevil hold me allowed me to lean on his strength until I could find my own again. This was similar to the solid rock I had in my father, but I didn't like Dad to worry about me. With Weevil, I felt like I could allow myself to be completely vulnerable and he would never let anything happen to me. I wished we could stay like this forever. Just like this.

"V, before your dad gets home, you should listen to the voicemail and decide if it's worth digging into."

Lifting my head to look up at him, I said, "Let me hear it."

"The night of the call, I had my phone off while I was in your hospital room. I didn't listen to it until I got home late that night. Sometime the next morning, I forwarded it to Felix and didn't give it another thought. I had other things on my mind." He picked up my hand and placed kisses on my knuckles. Then, he hit play.

The voice was disguised, but the words were clear. The person claimed that Curly had been hired by the Fitzpatricks to cause the bus crash to get back at Cervando.

"Is that possible?"

"Possible? Yeah. Probable? No. That's not how the Fitzpatricks handle things. Baseball bat in an alley is more likely. But if the Fitzpatricks are involved in this … and since Thumper is working with them, it's possible he'd eliminate someone they hired to do a job."

"You said 'since Thumper is working with them.' What did you mean?"

"The surveillance photos you showed me. You don't remember?"

Looking through folders on my laptop, I found the photos I had cleaned up.

"I didn't remember … until you said something."

"Did you ever show these to your dad?"

"I don't think so. I know I planned to, but I'm not sure if I got around to it … you know, before the bus crash." Seeing the look in his eyes, I said, "I'll show them to him. Soon."

He seemed satisfied with that. "Anyway, the Fitzpatricks may have asked Thumper to tie up loose ends. If Felix handed off the info to him, none of the guys would think twice about him taking out the person supposedly responsible for Cervando's death. That would be awfully convenient for him. And them."

"What's the number?"

"619-555-0162."

After I typed the number into the search box and hit enter, I said, "Huh!" I was surprised by the results of my reverse lookup.

He leaned over to look at the screen. "The Echolls house?"

"Apparently. They have multiple phone lines, but I don’t recognize this number."

"What are you thinking? Private office? If so, how many people would have access to that?"

"Already there." Another chill ran through me. "Would Mr. Echolls have … well, he couldn't have made it himself. But he could have gotten someone else to make that call to get you to take out the person he hired to kill me."

"Not a stretch. We know for sure that he's killed one person. And the events last spring prove that he'll go to great lengths to cover up evidence connecting himself to a crime." After a silent moment, he asked, "Now what?"

"I let Duncan know where we are. Duncan or I ask Logan who might have been in his house at the time of the call. You check with Felix to find out what happened after you forwarded the voicemail to him. Then, decide when I hand this off to Dad."

"When? Not if?"  He stared at me.  "Not disagreeing with you. Just …"

Poking him in the side, I said, "Surprised. You can say it. You were surprised."

"Little bit."  He pulled out his phone to call Felix. "Hey. You alone?"

"Yeah, Weevs. What's up?"

"I'm at Veronica's. You're on speaker. Got a couple questions for you."

"Go."

"Remember the anonymous call I got a week after the bus crash?"

"Yeah."

"What happened after I passed that on to you?"

"I handed it off to Thumper – just to check it out and report back to me. I kept an eye on him, sort of a test to see what he would say. He came back … said he looked into it and decided that it didn't match their normal M.O. I agreed with him. No proof that the information was actually good. Decided it was a crank call. That was the end of it." He paused. "Why are you asking about that now?"

Weevil said simply, "Curly Moran washed up on a local beach."

"Fuck. You think it was Thumper?"

"I'm not sure what I think. But if the info was good and Thumper took out the link between the Fitzpatricks and the crash …" Weevil left that sentence open-ended. "And it gets worse."

"Curly was an old buddy of Aaron Echolls," I chimed in. "If Curly was hired by him, then Cervando wasn't the target."

All three of us were quiet for a solid minute.

"What's our next move?" Felix asked.

"I've got one more lead to follow up on. Depends what I find out," I replied.

"I'll be in touch," Weevil told Felix. Just before ending the call, he added, "Watch your back."

Immediately, I dialed Duncan's number and put him on speaker. After I told him what I had been able to find out about Curly Moran, I mentioned that Weevil had gotten an anonymous call about Curly's involvement, claiming to know who hired him. There were doubts about whether the info was true. "I was able to find out where the call was made from. Logan's house on September 24th. It was a Saturday night."

Duncan thought for a moment and said, "Wait …" Then, I heard what sounded like paper being crumpled. "That was the night of Logan's 'Life's Short' party. I just checked the flyer, which was still in my backpack."

"Were you there?"

"Yeah. Lots of people were."

"Including some of my guys," Weevil added.

"Great! Anyone could have made that call," I said with a heavy dose of sarcasm. Then, I added, "I don't recognize the number as one of the Echolls' primary lines. Not sure what he'd be able to tell us, but if I give you the number, can you ask Logan about it? And if possible, avoid telling him why you're asking – or at least, don't tell him the whole truth."

"Sure. I'm not sure I can get ahold of him tonight, but I'll definitely check with him tomorrow."

Just then, I heard Dad's keys at the door. I quickly said, "Goodbye," into the phone and ended the call.

Dad came in and had a brief chat with Weevil as he packed up his books. I told Dad I was gonna walk him down, because I left something in my car. That gave us a chance to talk. We decided to wait at least a day to see if either of us or Duncan came up with anything else. But someday soon, I'd be having a conversation with my dad. The timing might be determined by when Duncan told his father about being questioned.

Weevil expressed his feelings – again – that he did not like me spending time with Duncan. Even though he knew this was necessary.

Our goodnight kiss was longer than it would have been if we were inside my apartment. As I walked back up to my door, I wished our time alone hadn't been eaten up with investigating this lead.

He didn't like that I was splitting my time between doctors, friends, my ex-boyfriend, my father, and him. I wasn't that wild about it either. I wanted more time with him, too.

**~*~*~**

The next morning over breakfast, I tried to casually bring up a topic of potential contention.

"I was wondering what you thought of me becoming a licensed P.I."

"Where did this come from?" Dad asked.

"I've been thinking about it for a while." Before he could say anything else, I launched into my reasoning. "I'm eighteen. I bet I've worked more cases than most people who take the exam. I'd still work at the Hut, but this way when I 'help out' friends and classmates, I'm doing it as a licensed investigator. Plus, Mac had this crazy idea last year – well, I thought it was crazy at the time. Now, I realize it could be a lucrative side business." I explained the idea behind Mac's 'Get the Dirt' website – basically doing background checks. Granted, I spun it as a way for people to find out more about people who ask them out – you know, before the first date … for safety reasons. "Basic background and a little online research? That's easy money and not dangerous at all."

Dad's response: "I'll think about it." His face: unreadable.

Hearing his tone, I knew that I'd have to wait a little while before bringing it up again. Maybe next time, I'll take the approach that I could work from home rather than being on my feet at Java the Hut.

**~*~*~**

The following week, Dad decided I could drive myself to school. The doctor had cleared me, but he wanted the last say. He and Weevil both made me promise that if I wasn't feeling well, I would get a ride home.

While I was getting ready on Monday morning, I got a text from Wallace asking if I had time to talk before school. Of course, I did. Anything for my BFF.

Sitting on a bench outside the school, he told me that his dad had shown up. He was glad that his mom had already told him, because his dad tried to make it sound like his mom was the bad guy. But as I told him, "The hero is the one who stays."

He told his dad that he would try to keep in touch – calls and emails. Even said that he'd consider a visit this coming summer. But no matter how much his dad tried to persuade him, he wasn't interested in going to live with his dad.

"For starters, you're here," Wallace said as he winked at me.

Weevil approached while I was pulling Wallace in for a hug. By now, there were other people around; I had to assume that some were watching. Weevil didn't look happy as he reached for me.

I patted Wallace's leg and said, "Give me a minute." Stepping to the side, I kissed Weevil and then turned my face away from Wallace to whisper into Weevil's ear, "You look like you need an explanation. His real dad just came back into the picture. He didn't know anything until recently."

Pulling back to read his eyes, I saw understanding. He still gave me one hell of a kiss – one of his “you're mine” kisses. And then, he asked, "Will I see you at lunch?"

Glancing back over at Wallace, I said softly, "I'll see what I can do. But you might have to wait ‘til later." I winked at him as I ran a fingertip down his chest and abdomen, catching on the waistband of his jeans.

He brought his lips to my temple. "You're definitely worth the wait,  _querida_."

"Even if you have to sit at my bedside for weeks?"

"Been there. Done that. I'd prefer not to go through that again."

I couldn’t agree more.

* * *

 _Dime. Ahora._ = Tell me. Now.

 _¡Mierda!_ = shit

 _querida_ = darling


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains bits of #2.5 "Blast From the Past"

The first week driving myself to school was exhausting. I put off doing several things, including telling my dad about the pictures of Thumper outside the club. But on Thursday, Weevil pressed the issue, saying that he planned to drop by our apartment that night. I could either tell Dad myself or Weevil would do it for me.

That evening, Dad made beef stew. As he was setting the table, he began to tell me that he had been contacted by the FBI. Apparently, they were looking at additional missing persons cases and wanted to verify that they had everything we had found during our investigation.

"The FBI asked us to look back over our evidence and notes to see if we come up with anything that might be helpful to them. They have decided to dig into the operation of the club and anyone associated with it over the past several years."

"That's quite a coincidence." Taking a few seconds to consider my words, I looked away from my Dad before beginning to tell him about the pictures of Thumper. "Weevil reminded me of something the other day … something I had intended to show you before the bus crash. I was able to clean up the surveillance photos I took from across the street." Seeing his expression, I added, "I didn't keep this from you intentionally, Dad. Until he mentioned them and I located them on my laptop, I didn't remember … until I saw them."

"I'll get back to the photos in a minute. But … the memory loss … how much of that have you been noticing?"

"Some. Not a lot. I talked to the doctor about it."

"But not your own father?"

"The doctor seemed to think that being at home … things would come back to me. And they are. I recognize these photos. I can tell you when I took them, when I cleaned them up, how I identified the other people in them."

Before he could respond, there was a knock at the door. As he went to answer it, I could tell that Dad was clearly not happy with me.

Seeing Weevil walk in, I said, "I just started telling him about the photos. I'm gonna go get my computer."

The three of us sat down in the living room and I positioned my laptop so they could see the screen.

I explained that I was trying out some new software from Mac and took another look at the photos. After seeing Thumper's face, I asked Leo to take a look at them. With his help, I was able to identify all the faces.

It came as no surprise that my father reacted to the information in much the same way that Leo had. He heard me out as I explained that Weevil was not connected to this and that he had been concerned about Thumper for a while now.

Dad said he recognized two of the Fitzpatricks – the same two that Weevil had recognized – and then asked who else he was looking at.

"That one is a distant cousin of the Fitzpatricks. Moved to Neptune earlier in the year. The remaining two are members of the McGuire family."

"Identifying faces in our photos would certainly be information the FBI would want. They could've found this on their own." Glancing over at Weevil, Dad said, "But still, we have it now and I feel duty bound …"

"… to give it to them," Weevil finished his thought and nodded in understanding.

Dad walked over to the stove and checked on the stew. Then, he got out three bowls, saying, "Eli, why don't you get the drinks. Veronica, why don't you put on that CD I just bought."

As we ate, we listened to Michael McDonald cover some of Motown's greatest hits, including this classic Marvin Gaye / Tammi Terrell duet:

_"Like an eagle protects his nest, for you I'll do my best –_

_Stand by you like a tree, dare anybody to try and move me._

_Darling, in you I found strength where I was torn down._

_Don't know what's in store, but together we can open any door …_

_You're all I need to get by."_

As the meaning of the lyrics sunk in, Weevil and I made eye contact across the dinner table. After everything the two of us had been through – individually and together – we knew how rare it was to have people you could count on.

All three of us were deep in thought; there was much to think about. I wondered who would start the dinner conversation. I didn't have to wonder for long.

Dad turned to Weevil and asked, "Mind if I ask you something?" He was proceeding with caution.

My boyfriend looked my dad in the eye, but said nothing. He just waited for the question.

"What are you doing about this? And how are you going to keep any blowback from landing on my daughter?" After a second's pause, he added, "And of course, on yourself."

Dropping his head, Weevil did not answer him right away. I reached over and took his hand. He turned his head toward me and then looked over at Dad. "I had hoped to have this taken care of before it came to your attention. I didn't want you worrying about Veronica … being with me, dating me. Felix and I have been trying to figure out what Thumper's involved in, but other than knowing he's connected to the Fitzpatricks somehow …"

Dad nodded in understanding. "You don't have anything solid. Even with the photos Veronica took."

I just sat and watched the exchange between the gang leader and the former sheriff.

After a few minutes of silence, Dad turned to me to ask, "Have you been working on this for him?"

Weevil and I answered simultaneously, "No."

Then, Weevil added, "I specifically asked her to  _not_  look into it. Don't want Thumper to have a reason to target her." Glancing at me, he added, "I don't want her anywhere near this or him."

"Good. We're on the same page," Dad said as he made eye contact with Weevil.

Then, they both turned their faces in my direction.

Rolling my eyes to try to lighten the mood, I said, "Sheesh! I get it. Stay away from danger or else."

"Mind if I ask another question?" Dad waited for Weevil to respond, which he did with a nod. "Do you have an exit strategy?"

"I'm working on it."

When Dad started to clear the table, I returned my laptop to my bedroom. I could hear that they were talking, but not what they were saying.

As I walked back into the living room, Weevil said he needed to get going. I stepped just outside the door to give him a kiss goodnight. He seemed pleasantly surprised that my dad didn't forbid me to see him.

After I went back inside, Dad said he remembered he needed to check on something at the office.

That left me home alone with Backup. He curled up at my feet while I worked at my desk. I was putting the finishing touches on the files Dad would be giving to the FBI – labeling photos, cleaning up my notes, making copies of everything.

**~*~*~**

On Friday, Duncan came over to me at lunch to say that he had asked Logan about the phone number, but other than verifying that it was indeed one of their numbers, he had no other info to add.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Weevil was watching us. Thumper leaned over to say something to him, causing him to scowl.

A few minutes before lunch ended, I picked up my things and walked over to the PCHers table. Most of the guys wouldn't look at me. Thumper glared in my direction. Felix acted cold.

When I sat down next to Weevil, I could tell he was upset about something. I wasn't sure if it was what Thumper had said or if it was me helping Duncan.

"Do you have a minute?"

"Not right now, V."

"Well, I'm working later. When would be good for you?"

He didn't reply, but a moment later, he got up to step away from the table. Everyone could still see us, but at least, we wouldn't be overheard.

"Duncan just let me know that Logan didn't have any useful information for us." I watched as Weevil nodded in understanding. "He decided he's gonna talk to his dad this weekend about being questioned by Lamb. I guess that means finding time to tell Dad about Curly and the connection to Aaron."

He nodded again. "First shift back at The Hut tonight?"

"After school. Til closing."

"See you then."

I should have figured that he would follow me home, but I hadn't really thought about it.

**~*~**

For a Friday, Java the Hut was not that busy. The manager had told me to take it easy my first day back. She had scheduled an extra person, just in case. It might have been better if I had been super busy.

Logan came in about an hour after I got there. Not only did he hang around to watch my every movement, he flirted with me. Shamelessly. He mentioned that he had heard some of the PCHers talking about me. Specifically, about me and Weevil.

"Considering what they said, sounds like there's trouble in paradise." He waited for me to respond. When I didn't, he stood quite close to me as he said, "Well, the offer from last spring is still good. To take you out. Let me know when you want to accept."

Stepping away from him, I said, "Never gonna happen, Logan."

Finally, he left. The rest of my shift went by quickly. Although I was tired, I didn't feel completely terrible.

When I got out to the parking lot, Weevil was leaning against my car. He pulled me toward him and gave me a possessive kiss.

I could tell by the look in his eyes that something was up.

"Have a nice chat with Logan?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"Thumper mentioned that he was here for a while earlier. Said you two looked pretty cozy."

"He was just … being Logan."

"He's been after you since last year. The kiss at the Camelot. Asking you out even after you told him you were seeing someone."

"He overheard a couple of your guys talking about us and assumed that we were having problems."

"And decided he would—"

"Don't worry about him."

"The way he looks at you makes me want to rip his eyes out."

After another kiss – a longer kiss – he followed me home.

**~*~*~**

The next morning over breakfast, I told Dad about Duncan being questioned by Sherriff Lamb and coming to me for help. I told him what I found out about Curly. And about the voicemail that Weevil had gotten. He didn't have to ask me to leave it alone, but he did.

Shortly after that, I called Duncan to tell him I talked to Dad and that if he needed any further help on this, he should call my dad directly. Apparently, Jake Kane had hit the ceiling when he found out that Duncan had been questioned by Lamb. Duncan said that his dad planned to have a chat with the Sheriff, which would probably put an end to it, but he was still rattled by the fact that his name had been on the guy's palm.

Shortly after that, I called Weevil to tell him that Dad was in the loop on the Duncan/Curly thing. He asked when Dad would be talking to the FBI. I told him I honestly didn't know.

**~*~*~**

The next week was busy and tiring. At lunch my first full day back at school, I had finally met Jackie. I was trying not to be … well, me, but there was something about her that was just a bit off. And after a few days of hanging out with us, she didn't seem to like how close Wallace and I were. She wasn't the only one.

Even though Weevil and I had talked about it numerous times, he still didn't like the amount of the time I spent with Wallace – our private in-jokes and our obvious affection for one another. As a result, the guys hassled him a bit about Wallace making time with me. All of that – plus Duncan and Logan – put Weevil on edge and caused jealousy to rear its ugly head.

**~*~*~**

We were starting to read Pride and Prejudice in English class. Jackie complained about having to read it again. I mentioned that I had rented the BBC version with Colin Firth and told them they were welcome to watch it with me.

The next couple afternoons, the three of us sat in my living room watching all six hours of it and debating the attributes of Mr. Darcy.

Although I did my best to be polite, she was constantly namedropping and flaunting all the cool things she had done. I guess I could see why Wallace liked her, but I wasn't sure they were a good match.

When we finished, Jackie asked if we could put on a show that she had started watching regularly. Someone at school had told her about this community access show "Answers from Angels." Michelle, one of the girls that was on the show that day was friends with Rhonda, who had died in the bus crash. Madame Sophie told her that Rhonda wasn't angry at her.

I didn't really think much of it until the next day when I overheard her telling someone about it. Michelle added a key piece of information: she'd been upset since the bus crash, thinking that Rhonda would be angry with her for not picking up when she called from the bus. Rather than answering the last call her friend made, she had let it go to voicemail.

At lunch, I went over to talk to Michelle. I started by asking her what it was like to be on the show, but I really just wanted to know if she still had the message. She did. After she let me listen to it, I put my hands down in my lap so that I could forward the message to myself.

When I played it for Dad, he heard the same thing I heard. My memory had been correct: there was an explosion before the bus hit the guardrail.

During that same conversation, I asked Dad how things were progressing with the Manning case. He said he was helping Meg make arrangements to go live with a relative. Meg had given him a notebook where her parents had her sister Grace write admonishments over and over. Things like: "I was bad" and "I deserve to be punished." Unfortunately, Child Protective Services needed more before they could remove Grace and Lizzie from the home. I was glad that Dad was continuing to work on it.

I mentioned that Duncan had told me that Meg thinks her parents might know she's pregnant. She noticed that someone has been following her. She thinks her parents may have hired them. Dad said he'd look into it.

**~*~*~**

In the weeks leading up to the Homecoming dance, while I was occupied with school and working one day a week at The Hut, Dad was busy helping Meg prepare to disappear. She had begun warming up to me, apparently no longer considering me a threat, but rather, part of the solution to her problems. Little by little, she brought her things to me at school. When I got home, I added them to the suitcases and boxes she would be taking with her.

Less than a week before the dance, Dad caught the person who had been following Meg. He had not been hired by the Mannings. It was a guy named Lucky who Meg's parents had frequently had over to dinner. He had apparently developed a crush on Meg.

He was a few years older than us, so he knew many of the students at Neptune High. Also, he worked at the school as a janitor. Seeing her with Duncan bothered him quite a bit. So, he had begun to follow her, in a sick attempt at having more time with her.

The Mannings did not want to file a restraining order against Lucky, but instead asked Dad to talk to him. When my dad tried to convince him to leave Meg alone, Lucky started talking crazy. He told Dad that he had made a grand gesture to impress Meg, to win her affections away from Duncan. But he didn't get specific.

A couple days later at school, Lucky approached Meg and threatened to do something to her and Duncan if she didn't leave him. Sheriff Lamb and Deputy Sacks came to the school to arrest him. Dad told them about the vague things Lucky had previously told him, but they weren't able to get anything else out of him. As soon as they got him to the station, he asked for a lawyer and clammed up.

**~*~*~**

That Friday was the Homecoming dance. Surprisingly, I was able to talk Weevil into taking me to the dance. He was in favor of seeing me all dressed up, but I knew it was gonna cause waves with the guys.

His grandma had come over when he came to pick me up. She and my dad took more photos than necessary before finally letting us leave.

When we got to the school, Felix was waiting in the parking lot. As I got out of my car, he complimented me on my dress and then asked if he could have a few minutes alone with Weevil.

"Of course," I answered. Then, I looked at my date and told him I'd wait just inside the entrance for him.

A few minutes later, Weevil joined me and we walked into the dance together.

We did a little socializing, including a brief chat with Duncan and Meg. After that, Weevil took my hand and led me to the dance floor. During back-to-back slow songs, he held me close. It felt more wonderful than words.

With my mouth near his ear, I said softly, "Didn't think I'd ever get you to go to a dance. If I'd have known that almost dying would get you to put on a suit, I'd have done it sooner."

"Don't even joke about that."

"Joking about it is the only thing keeping me sane at this point." I leaned back in order to look into his eyes. "But seriously, you look incredibly handsome."

"And you look even more beautiful than normal."

"Definitely better than that death-warmed-over look I was sporting in the hospital."

"Again with the joking."  As the song was ending, he held me just a little tighter. "As beautiful as you look in that dress … I'd much rather see you out of it."

My racing heart was my only response to his admission.

He took my hand and led me to an empty corner. I could tell by the look in his eyes that there was something he wanted to say. It took him a couple minutes to find the words. And even then, I had to read between the lines.

"The understanding with your father … the agreement I made with him. It seemed like a good idea at the time. But lately … um, what I'm saying is … when you decide you're ready … for us to … just say when."

Although he didn't come right out and say it, I understood what he was telling me.

Before I could reply to his rambling, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Duncan. I told Weevil I'd be back in a few minutes and I joined them in the parking lot. I had Weevil park the car as far from the entrance as possible, hoping that Meg's departure would draw less attention that way.

With Dad's help, Duncan had hired a driver/bodyguard to get Meg safely to her aunt's house in Seattle. He would have taken her himself, but if he went missing at the same time, the Mannings would immediately say he was involved. They would point the finger at him anyway, but it would be harder to prove.

The boxes and suitcases had already been moved from my car into the other vehicle. As Meg said goodbye to me and thanked me for my help, she returned my car keys.

The driver gave me some papers to pass on to my dad. Then, Meg gave Duncan one last kiss before leaving.

As we walked around the corner of the building and watched the car pull out of the parking lot, I saw Duncan begin to cry. I reached out for his hand.

I wanted to say that everything was going to be okay now. But I wasn't sure how to say it in a way that would not sound hollow. I just leaned my shoulder against his arm and continued to hold his hand. "We should get back inside … so everyone can verify that they saw you here all night."

"Yeah," he said numbly. Then, looking me in the eyes, he said, "Thanks, Veronica. I don't know what I would have done without your help the past several weeks. It means a lot to me – and to Meg – that you were willing to help us. I don't know how I can ever repay you." For the first time in a long time, he gave me a hug.

As I stepped out of his arms, I joked, "My dad will be sending you a bill."

"I already paid him. I'm talking about you."

It wasn't until I saw Weevil walking over to us that I noticed a couple motorcycles on the far end of the parking lot. If I had to guess, Thumper had just called Weevil to tell him I was out here hugging my ex-boyfriend.

As he stepped toward us, Weevil said, "I am so fuckin' tired of sharing you." He had shouted loud enough for his voice to be heard by anyone who was outside – a few people in the parking lot, a small gathering near the school entrance, and obviously, Duncan.

It wasn't so much Weevil's tone that shook the core of my being. It was the meaning behind the words.

With a glance at me, Duncan wordlessly headed for the front door of the school.

I turned to face Weevil. Slowly, I took two steps to close the gap between us. Placing my hands on his chest, I looked in his eyes and whispered, "Everything okay now?"

"Need some time alone with you,  _nena_."

"Yeah. Me too."

This tender moment was followed by one of his possessive kisses.

"Time to go, V."

"I should say goodnight to—"

"Text them," he said firmly as he grabbed my hand and led me to the car.

**~*~**

My dad was out when we got back to the apartment. That gave us some time alone, but we were prepared to be interrupted at some point.

Weevil pulled a CD off my shelf and put it in the player in the living room. We slow danced to several songs in a row – honestly, I lost count.

We were sitting on the couch when Dad came home.

As he came through the door and saw us there, Dad said, "Didn't expect you to be home so soon."

"School dances aren't really my thing," Weevil said.

"I'm surprised I got him to go at all."

"Sweetie, can I talk to you a minute?"

I was expecting a lecture, but when Dad and I went back into my room, he explained that he would out of town for a couple days. "I'm just here long enough to pack and then I need to go back to the office for a little while." Handing me a piece of paper, he asked, "Can you take care of my travel arrangements? I want to leave first thing in the morning."

Picking up my laptop, I walked back out to the living room. Sitting next to Weevil, I started to book Dad's flight.

"Working on a Friday night? During a date?" He was clearly annoyed.

Feeling the need to apologize, I said, "Sorry. I need to take care of this for Dad."

He leaned over toward me. I could tell that he was looking at the screen. There was an unspoken question nearly audible in the silence.

A few minutes later, Dad came out of his room. "I shouldn't be more than an hour. Need to get some sleep tonight."

"I'll have your flight and car taken care of before you get back."

"Thanks, honey. Goodnight, Eli."

Weevil nodded. "Sheriff." A moment after the door had closed behind Dad, he asked me, "He leaves in the morning?"

"And if all goes according to plan, gets back Sunday night."

He watched as I finished Dad's reservations. After I returned my laptop to my bedroom, I sat beside him on the couch. He began to stroke my neck with his fingertips.

His voice was soft and full of suggestion as he said, "About that time alone …"

When he didn't continue his thought, I said, "I think we're alone now."

"Yeah, but he'll be back soon. Besides, I had something else in mind."

"Do tell."

He sprinkled kisses on my shoulder as he planted his hands firmly on me. Pulling me into his lap, his mouth found my ear. "I could give Bri a call."

"A day at the beach sounds lovely."

"I'll check if we can stay for dinner this time."

His hands and lips were busy. I was breathing heavily, my thoughts on anything but food plans for tomorrow. He groaned as I shifted in his lap.

We had yet to finish the "when" conversation. If my dad weren't due back in the near future, we could have just skipped over the discussion. As Elvis put it so succinctly, "A little less conversation. A little more action, please."

With both my hands on his face, I brought my lips to his. Then, pressing my forehead to his, I said, "Or you could check if they have a room available."

His entire body went still. I leaned a few inches away, allowing him to look into my eyes.

"What are you saying, V?"

"When."

He just stared at me for a long moment before taking out his phone. He was typing a text message as he said, "It's too late to call, but in case I sleep late … she'll see this first thing in the morning."

Before he closed his phone, he saw a text message from Thumper and decided he should call him back. If things weren't so tense right now, it might have been amusing to watch the act Weevil put on during the phone call. A couple of times, I could hear laughter on the other end or the tone of Thumper's reply. Mostly, I had to mentally fill in the gaps based on Weevil's side of the conversation.

"No, man. Won't be around the rest of the weekend … After going to that fucking dance with V, I need to get out of Neptune … gonna spend tomorrow with a girl I know … yeah, I'll be back Sunday." He insinuated that he was spending the night with someone other than me. "What the princess don't know won't hurt her." Thumper must have asked him a question. "Not sure yet. Kinda tired of all this relationship crap, you know? But it is nice to have her fine white ass to hold onto."

The whole time he was on the phone with Thumper, his free hand was stroking my arm tenderly.

The phone call was followed by several minutes of impassioned kissing. Then, he abruptly lifted me out of his lap, stood up, and reached for my hand. I was confused as he led me toward the front door. He must have seen that on my face.

"I think I should go. Everything in me wants to stay right now. And that's exactly why I should leave. Before your dad gets back."

We both laughed – nervous and excited at the same time. I knew he was right. If he stayed, neither of us would want to wait until tomorrow.

The goodnight kiss he gave me did not reflect the hormonal rush inside our bodies. The kiss was tentative and tender, powerful in its innocence.

When he was gone, I left Dad a note with his travel info. Then, I changed out of my dress and climbed into bed. My body had settled down, but my mind was busy.

The goodnight kiss.

The minutes before the kiss.

The things we had said.

The things left unsaid, but clearly understood.

My to-do list for tomorrow morning.

My wish list for tomorrow night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "All I Need to Get By" – Michael McDonald, Motown Two (2004); cover of 1968 Gaye/Terrell duet.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you probably figured out from the last chapter, things are about to get steamy. 
> 
> WARNING: Chapter 10 & 11 could be titled "The Agony and the Ecstasy" – with the ecstasy taking place first, the agony following after.

On the surface, it seemed like any other weekend with Dad out of town to take care of business. When I woke up in the morning, Dad had already left for the airport to catch his flight. Checking my phone, I had found a text from him requesting that I email him some documents he forgot to take with him, as well as a text from Weevil requesting that I call him as soon as I got up.

The moment I heard Weevil’s voice on the phone, it was clear this was not an ordinary Saturday morning. He told me that he had already talked to Bri. They didn't have any guests this weekend, because Ben was doing some repairs. But she said that it was okay for us to come for a visit. One of Ben's projects would be easier if he had an extra pair of hands. Since we had planned to go separately anyway, Weevil would get on the road after we finished talking so that he'd have time to assist Ben before I arrived.

As I was about to say goodbye, he asked if I still wanted to stay for dinner and spend the night – or if I just wanted to spend the afternoon on the beach and then head home. I assured him that I hadn't changed my mind and said that I'd text him before I left.

When I had said, "See you soon," his reply was "Not soon enough,  _cariño_."

That reply had put a silly smile on my face. That smile remained in place while I showered and took my time shaving, while I painted my toenails and put on my makeup, while I picked out my clothes and packed a few things for my overnight stay, while I scanned the papers for Dad and ate a quick lunch before leaving. That smile even remained on my face when I stopped at Mac's house to give her a key so she could take care of Backup while I was away.

The drive was almost over – less than ten minutes away from seeing him – and that silly smile was still plastered across my face.

**~*~**

When I arrived at the bed and breakfast, Bri was behind the reception desk. She came around to give me a hug, explaining that they had finished working on the hot water heater. After telling me that Ben had moved on to something else on his list, she added, "Eli went up to take a shower. I suspect he's taking a nap. Sounds like you guys had a late night."

He had apparently told her about going to the homecoming dance. However, she wanted to hear details from me later.

Mere minutes after I had entered the B&B, I was on my way up the stairs to the suite on the third floor. Nervously, I stood at the door – my hand raised, but not quite ready to turn the knob. I shifted the weight of my overnight bag on my shoulder and took a deep breath. Finally, I opened the door.

Before I had even crossed the threshold, I saw him stretched out on the bed, lying on his stomach. His eyes were closed, but I wasn't sure if he was sleeping or not. I sat down next to him, admiring the tattoos on the back of his shirtless torso. Even as I touched his skin to trace the outline of one of the tattoos, I wasn't entirely sure if he was awake or asleep.

It wasn't until he said, "Can't keep your hands off me, can you?" that I was certain.

He rolled onto his side and pulled me down for a kiss. One of his hands landed on my thigh – the hem of my coverup had slid up when I sat down. He pulled back from the kiss and took in my appearance. Prepared for a day at the beach, I was wearing a bikini underneath a loose dress that hit above the knee when I was standing.

The look in his eyes changed in an instant. Before I could process what was happening, he quickly moved to stand beside the bed. Taking me in his arms, he kicked my bag aside, crossed the room to shut the door, and pressed my back against it.

His eyes locked onto mine as he put two fingers into his mouth and then reached down. He groaned and said, "You were thinking about me during the drive here."

I slowly nodded my response as his left hand lifted my right leg, placing my foot on the chair next to us. His right hand continued to build my arousal.  The tender skin heated under his touch.  Warmth spread through my body until I was on fire.  The hormones being released into my system were awakening the strongest desires I’d ever had. 

Just as I began to climax, memories began to flood my mind.  Memories of the night we were at Club Mojo. On the dance floor. At the table. In the bathroom. My back pressed against the stall divider. And all the things he made me feel that night.

In much the same way as that night last spring, my head tipped back against the door and my hands splayed out next to me. My knees felt like they would buckle any second.

Finding my voice, I said, "I remember."

When he didn't reply, I wasn't sure if he had heard me. I lifted my head away from the door and opened my eyes. Looking at his expression, it seemed that he had been having the same memories.

Removing his hand from between my legs, he put his fingers in his mouth again, sucking them clean. "Just like I remember. You taste like cheesecake."

"I do? Wait … how would you …?" And then it hit me, he had licked his fingers that night when he turned away from me to get his things off the counter.

He didn't answer my unfinished question. Instead, he kissed me. I found it surprisingly arousing that I could taste myself on his tongue.

A few moments later, he dropped to his knees before me. "I've been wanting to do this since that night." After sliding my bikini bottom down my legs, his tongue took over the task that his fingers had been performing a few minutes earlier.

My fingers moved to his smooth scalp. Not that he seemed to need encouragement to continue, but I knew that he liked my hands on his head – really, he just liked when I touched his bare skin. Not only did I have no complaints about that, I enjoyed the contact as much as he did.

When I touched him – particularly his neck and head – it felt intimate. Not always in a sexual way. But I felt closer to him somehow. Back when we were just trading favors, I would not have touched his head.  It would have felt like I was crossing a line somehow. However, during the conversation we had at the beach after Logan kissed me at the Camelot, I had put my hand on his head and neck to get him to look at me, to open up to me. And he had. When I woke up in the hospital after the bus crash, I reached out for him – touching his head, needing for him to know what I was feeling. And his eyes had mirrored my emotions back to me.

In this moment, the man I had fallen for … had fallen before me … lavishing his affection on my body. This man was a leader of many and a servant of none. He had never demanded anything of me physically. Yet here in this room, he had gotten on his knees, giving freely before taking anything. It was instinctual for me to touch him in a way that felt most intimate to me – to stroke the shaved skin on his head.

What was happening right now was not just a sex act; he was making love to me. And by the looks of it, he planned to take his time. As my arousal approached fever pitch level, my mind flipped back to something he had said once about "thorough follow-through." In my hazy state, I couldn't seem to remember when he had said it, but I could see his face and hear his voice in my memory.

This must have been what he was talking about. For damn sure, he was being thorough now.

My head felt like I was getting drunk. I couldn't believe the effect he had on me. My mind was mush and I didn't have the ability to control my volume. Boy, was I glad there weren't any other guests staying at the B&B.

Shortly after the white light flashed behind my eyelids, he stood and said, "The most amazing cheesecake I've ever had." Then, he began kissing me again.

Several minutes later – after my head cleared and I could feel my legs again – he suggested we go out on the beach for a while. On our way through the main floor, Bri mentioned that she and Ben were going to go out to eat and see a movie, adding that she could serve our dinner before they left.

After spending some time in the water and taking a walk on the beach, we ate dinner out on the deck, enjoying the salt air and the setting sun. Our mouths were occupied with the delicious food, so we didn't talk that much during dinner. At one point, his eyes met mine and refused to let go.

"How much do you remember?"

"The night at the club? Everything … I think. Right down to the sound of his zipper and the trash can scraping on the floor."

"Not exactly the response I was hoping for."

"I just meant that all the details seem to be there. Obviously, the important part is …"

"The important part is … what?"

"The way you made me feel."

"And how did I make you feel?"

I could tell he was expecting me to comment on his prowess and the orgasm I’d had as a result of said prowess. But what I said was this: "Cared for. And protected." Then, as a thought flitted through my mind causing me to blush, I added, "And desirable."

"You are. All of those things." Reaching for my hand, he said, "I'm glad more of your memories are coming back."

After we took our dishes into the kitchen and locked the door to the deck, we went upstairs.

Crossing the threshold into our room, the intensity of the moment hit me. Although I had been with Duncan, this would be the night I would look back on as my first time. That thought sent a wave of butterflies nervously fluttering through my abdomen.

When he suggested taking a shower to wash off the salt and sand, I just nodded, not trusting my voice. The time we spent together in the shower made me feel more comfortable. More comfortable with his body being up against mine, with nothing in between.

Skin on skin. Hot water spraying down, washing over each of us. Our lips dancing as we stood there in one another's arms.

The way he looked at me. The way he said my name. The way he touched me. Nothing had ever felt this right. We fit together perfectly.

After drying off, he led me to the bed. Foreplay eventually transitioned to the main event. What started as discomfort quickly turned to pain, but soon, the pain gave way to pleasure. He took my hands and moved them to the slats of the headboard. He instructed me to hold on, adding that he couldn't hold back anymore.

I wanted to remember every detail of our time together, but I couldn't think straight, couldn't make myself focus. Finally, I just gave in and let the sensations wash over me as he took me over the edge with him.

If I'd known how good it would feel to have him inside me, I would have seduced him long ago.

Wrapping a blanket around us, we went out onto the private deck attached to the suite. There in his arms, listening to the waves, all I could do was sigh contentedly.

"What's going on in that head of yours, V?"

"When you said legendary, you weren't exaggerating."

I was prepared for some quip like 'You ain't seen nothing yet,' but he remained silent and placed a kiss on top of my head.

We must have nodded off at some point. When Bri and Ben came home, I woke up. A short while later, it seemed they had gone to bed.

Weevil's growling stomach sent him down to the kitchen in search of food. He returned with sandwiches, bottles of water, and a can of whipped cream.

We stayed awake for a few more hours giving and receiving pleasure, reveling in the freedom to be alone like this – uninhibited, no worries about anyone walking in and interrupting us. We knew it was a vacation from reality. A fantasy weekend in the midst of chaos that demanded to be dealt with. But for now, we both put on blinders and chose to see nothing but each other.

With my head resting on his chest, he said, "I like having you all to myself." He was quiet for a moment. "You know I love you, but … for a long time now … I've wanted you to feel … what I feel for you."

Lifting my head, I teased, "Oh, I definitely felt it. But wait. Go back. You … what? What exactly do I know?" I wasn't sure if he had intended to say it.

Realizing what I was asking about, he looked directly into my eyes as he said, "I love you, Veronica. Should have said it a long time ago. _Es tuyo mi corazón_." After planting a possessive kiss on me, he added, " _Eres mía_. In fact, I think that's what I'll call you from now on …  _Mía_."

All I could do was stare at him.  I tried to find words, but failed.  Instead, I chose to kiss him until I could gather my thoughts.  I had never expected to fall so hard for someone at such a young age.  I certainly never expected it to be the boy my father had arrested numerous times before high school. But I had fallen for him.  Completely. There was only one thing I could say: “ _E_ _stoy enamorado de ti,_ Eli.”

I wasn't in the habit of calling him that very often. But in this moment, in this room, he wasn't Weevil, leader of the PCH Bike Club. He was Eli, the man I had fallen in love with.

As I drifted back to sleep, I felt like I was floating. Like I had indulged in a vat of bliss. I wanted more – more of this, more of him – but that would have to wait.  Because I was exhausted.

**~*~*~**

When his phone alarm went off at 10 a.m., he reached for it and then reached for me.

With his chest against my back and his arm around my waist, he placed kisses just behind my ear. "Morning, beautiful."

After a few minutes of snuggling, I tried to wriggle free of his embrace.

"Where do you think you're going,  _Mía_?"

"I want to take a shower before we go down to eat breakfast."

"Food. Good thinking." He picked up his phone, his expression changing as he started to scroll through messages. "I'm gonna give Felix a call while you're in there."

They didn’t have much of a chance to talk on Friday because of the dance. Although I had a rough idea what they would need to talk about, they had been leaving me out of their recent planning sessions. I hoped the phone call would not alter his good mood.

I'm not sure how long I was in the shower. My mind kept wandering to memories of the previous night. When I finally made it back out to the bedroom, he was pacing back and forth with the phone to his ear.

Turning to look at me, he shut his phone and said, "He left a voicemail late last night and told me to call.  But he's not answering." His concern was obvious as he gestured to his phone, adding, "I've got a bunch of missed calls from my grandma. I'll need to call her after we eat."

After tossing the phone on the bed, he took a few steps in my direction. " _Mía_." His voice was filled with desire. He grabbed my hips to pull me in for a kiss before saying, "Be back in a few minutes."

We had both turned off our phones last night. We didn't want to be interrupted and figured there couldn't be anything that important going on.  When I turned mine on, I had a sinking feeling that we had been wrong about that. Before I could deal with the missed calls on my phone, there was a knock at the door.

As I opened it, I saw Bri standing there with a tray of food.

She and I had a few minutes to talk before he came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

Taking one look at our faces, he asked, "What's going on?"

Bri glanced at me before starting to talk. "Eli, I need to tell you something. You might want to sit down. I had a call this morning."

" _Abuela_?"

"Nothing happened to Aunt Letty. She's fine. In fact, she's the one who called me.  She tried your cell, but you didn't answer.  She got a call in the middle of the night.  Actually, early this morning … from Felix's mom."

As he lowered himself onto the edge of the bed, I moved over to take his hand.  "There's no easy way to say this. He was stabbed last night. He's out of surgery, but she didn't say much more than that about his condition."

"What happened?"

Since she had talked to Letty, Bri fielded this question.  "All she knew was that Felix was out with your guys ... Late last night, someone was driving across the Coronado Bridge and found two people lying on the pavement." She paused briefly. "One of them was Felix. The other guy had a knife in his hand. He threw the knife off the bridge and fled the scene without talking to the witness."

He looked back and forth between us before his eyes settled on mine. "What else? What aren't you telling me, V?"

"I just got off the phone with Leo. He said the license plate the witness gave belongs to Logan's SUV. There's a warrant out for his arrest."

Before he could respond to that, Bri interjected, "I'm not sure when you were planning to go back to Neptune, but I think you need to take some time … before you get on your bike."

He glared at her.

"She's right," I said. "First, we have some things we need to talk about. And you need to take some time to process what happened … before you face everyone … today at the hospital and tomorrow at school."

He dropped his towel to the floor and started to get dressed, apparently not caring that his cousin was in the room. "I don't want to process. I don't want to talk. I want to pound him into oblivion." His voice rose as he grabbed his jacket and his phone.

Stepping in front of him, I placed a hand on his chest to stop him.

Bri blocked the door and said, "I can't let you drive like this."

"Felix would be there for me. I need to get there. There are … things to deal with."

"Yes," I said as calmly as I could. "And we will deal with them. But not right this second. Not when you aren't in control of your emotions."

His jaw was set. His eyes were hard and cold. His tone was harsh as he said, "V, move. I'm leaving. Now."

First, Bri cleared her throat.  Then, she said, "Actually, you're not. I had Ben lock up your bike … at Letty's request. I'm the only one who knows where the key is. And I'm not letting you drive until I believe you'll be safe."

He snapped at his cousin, "Go unlock my bike. Now."

"Sorry. Can't do that just yet." Before leaving our room, she looked at me and said, "I'll give you some privacy. Let me know if you need anything."

* * *

_cariño_ = sweetheart / darling

_es tuyo mi corazón_  = my heart is yours

_eres mía_  = you’re mine

_estoy enamorado de ti_ **=** I’m in love with you

_abuela_ = grandmother 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, agony and ecstasy. This is as painful for me as it is for you.
> 
> WARNING: Buckle up. Bumpy road ahead. (As I'm sure you could have guessed.)
> 
> The good news: I won’t leave you with a cliffhanger for too long. At least 5 more chapters will be posted between now and the end of summer.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I decided to continue my fic "Stall" as a series, I spent a significant amount of time considering what parts of canon I wanted to keep, what events I desperately wanted to change, and what I was neutral about.
> 
> As I outlined this series a year ago, I realized that in order for later plot points to fall into place, some things would still have to occur. As much as it pains me, Felix’s death is one of those things. I did figure out a way to delay it for a while, but (for this fic, at least) it was unavoidable.
> 
> One of my “back burner” projects: working on a story idea where Felix not only survives but has a long, full life. He deserves a happier ending than he got on the show.
> 
> ~*~*~
> 
> Portions of Chapter 10 and 11 happen “off screen” on purpose. The “missing scenes” will be revealed soon.

By the time I got in my car and he got on his bike, we had talked things through – although more quickly than I would have liked – and he had called Letty to get an update. There had been complications and they had to open Felix up again. They weren't sure how long the surgery would take. And we weren't sure what we would find when we got there.

The hour drive back to Neptune seemed much longer than it actually was.

Not surprisingly, when I pulled into the hospital parking lot, his motorcycle was already there. I texted him to let him know I had arrived, but I didn't expect a reply.

It took me a few minutes to find out which waiting room everyone had gathered in. From down the hallway, I could see Letty sitting with Felix's mom, holding her as she wept. Then, I noticed the doctor who had just turned to walk away from them. Whatever news he had just delivered was not good. I just wasn't sure how bad it was.

Cautiously, I approached the group. Letty made eye contact with me. As she shook her head, her sad eyes told me what I had feared.

Felix had not made it through surgery.

I could see that the PCHers were in the midst of a serious discussion. I didn't want to interrupt, but I did want him to know I was there.

Moving toward him, I waited for a pause in their conversation before stepping close enough to talk. "Is there anything you need me to do?"

They all just stared at me, waiting for Weevil to respond.

His eyes were more angry than sad, though I knew there was grief underneath, fueling the anger. "What could you possibly do?"

Shaking my head, I said, "I don't know. But if you need … information about the investigation … or anything … anyway, I can try to find out for you."

"No need to investigate."

Dozens of eyes studied me as I asked cautiously, "What does that mean?"

He stepped toward me. In fact, he got right in my face. "It means: go home. We'll take care of this."

Lowering my voice, I said, "Tell me you don't mean that you intend to … please, don't ..."

Then, he turned his back on me, rejoining the group. "Go home, Veronica," he barked.

Several people in the waiting room flinched, including Letty.

Part of me wasn't sure what to do. The other part of me decided to walk toward Letty and to express my condolences to Felix's mother.

As I turned to leave, he briefly made eye contact with me. But he said nothing. He just let me walk out alone.

**~*~*~**

After I left the hospital on Sunday, I didn't hear from Eli. When I woke up Monday, still no texts, phone calls, or voicemails. It concerned me for a couple reasons, but I knew I needed to give him some space right now.

Not only was he dealing with his own reaction to Felix's death, but also the others' desire for retaliation against Logan. Since Letty was helping Felix's mom with funeral arrangements, he wouldn't get a break from it, even at home.

When I got to school in the morning, he wasn't there yet. I was anxious to see him – partly because I needed to know he was okay, but also I needed to know that we were okay. Waking up next to him on Sunday morning – after the tectonic shift in our relationship Saturday night – was amazing, but our idyllic weekend had come to an abrupt end. After his harsh words and lack of communication, I needed reassurance. I needed to see him, to touch him. To have him touch me.

It was a long morning. I didn't see him until lunch.

I had just gotten to my usual table and was about to sit down. He walked over to me and wordlessly put one finger under my chin. My whole body responded to his touch; my entire nervous system lit up. In an instant, memories from the weekend floated up. With that subtle contact, he had gotten past my usual social armor and made me vulnerable.  As he kissed me, I was aware that people were watching. Part of me didn't care. Another part of me didn't want a private moment being seen in public.

The tender, intimate time that we had shared this weekend had suddenly turned into a deadly serious situation. I wanted to go back to Saturday night when we were in the midst of bliss and Felix was still alive. But – having lived our lives in Neptune – we should not have been surprised that our bliss was short-lived.

When he broke off the kiss, I just stood there – staring at him, waiting for him to speak. But he didn't.

Finally, I said, "I have some pictures for Felix's mom. Could you take them to her?"

I could tell by his expression that he didn't want to play delivery boy this week.

Shaking my head, I said, "Never mind. I can take them to the house today after school."

His head tilted slightly and his eyes narrowed. "No. You don't need to do that. Give them to me."

He took the envelope, opened it and looked at the images I had chosen to print. Pressing his lips together, he nodded as he flipped through them.

Then, he turned to go back to his table.

His silence was unsettling – in large part because I didn't expect that we would see each other much this week. He had business to attend to. Between school, my work schedule, and my continuing need for rest, that didn't leave much time for anything else in my schedule. I wasn't sure how long it would be until we could have a real conversation about what was happening.

**~*~*~**

When Logan returned to school on Wednesday, he kept following me around, trying to talk to me. I kept avoiding him. Well, as much as I possibly could.

Finally, he managed to get me alone in the bathroom, by waiting for me and shooing away the other girls. He blocked the door until I would hear him out.

He wanted my help – "a favor for an old friend," he said – because he was being charged with Felix's murder.

"You have to believe me, Veronica. I didn't kill him."

"Even if I believe you, that doesn't mean I'm going to help you."

"Why? Because your boyfriend wouldn't like it? Maybe you need a new boyfriend."

When he finally allowed me to exit the restroom, I saw the PCHers watching from down the hall.

Reaching into my locker to get the books I needed for my next class, I felt breath on the back of my neck as hands grabbed my hips.

"Care to tell me what you and Echolls were doing in the bathroom?"

"Nothing. He wanted to talk. I tried avoiding him, but he cornered me."

"Try harder next time."

The low rumble of Eli's voice sent shivers through me and made my knees weak. The effect he had on me would be obvious to anyone watching us.

Just as I turned to face him, he stepped away from me and continued down the hall.

Logan had been watching our interaction. So had the PCHers.

**~*~**

Duncan dropped by my lunch table to give me some info to pass on to my dad. At the moment, top priority was getting Grace and Lizzie away from their parents, but they were also working on a way to get Duncan up to visit Meg. Eventually, he intended to move up to Seattle to be with her and the baby.

His parents had gone through the roof when they found out that he had gotten Meg pregnant. He did not tell them that he had helped her disappear or even that he knew where she was. The Kanes thought that she had contacted him by email after she left, keeping him updated on the pregnancy.

For the minutes Duncan was sitting next to me, Logan and Weevil were both watching like hawks.

After Duncan went back to his table, Wallace commented that the PCHers seemed awfully interested in the company I kept. I glanced over to see that Thumper was saying something to Weevil. It looked to me like he was taking every opportunity to stir up jealousy.

Mac joined us near the end of lunch.  "Mr. Pope let me know that Weevil dropped out of FBLA. Not that he needed to. Weevil told me himself. Anyway, I could use a new business partner, if you're ready to come back to FBLA. Did you talk to your dad about the P.I. license?"

"I did. Once. Didn't go as well as I would have liked. I'll try again soon. But that doesn't mean we can't start putting things together."

A devious smile spread across Mac's face. "Good. Because I kept the 'Get the Dirt' domain name I bought last year. And I've been working on the website. As soon as you have your credentials, we can go live."

"In the meantime, we use this 'fake business' as our FBLA project?"

"Yes, ma'am."

**~*~*~**

Friday morning, I went to school to drop off an assignment before going to Felix's funeral. I got to St. Mary’s Church early in case there was anything I could do to help. Letty was trying to handle things so that Felix's mom didn't have to deal with it all. She seemed to appreciate my assistance.

One of the things she had me do was arrange photos near the guestbook in the entry. Eli had delivered the photos I'd printed. His mom had decided to use a few of mine along with several others.

It was obvious that many people didn't want me there. With my pale skin and blonde hair, I was the minority in this situation. But he had been my friend, too. I hadn't known him as long as they had, but he and I had gotten close since last spring. I loved him. I was grieving too. And I had a right to be there, even if they didn't think I did.

I made Snickerdoodles to give to his mom. She smiled and said it would have meant so much to him that I did that. As she gave me a hug, she thanked me for the photos.

After I said a quick goodbye to Eli, I went back to school for the afternoon before going to work.

**~*~**

When I finished work that evening, I walked out to the parking lot to find Logan next to my car. Even at a distance, I could tell he was drunk. I had been around him enough over the years that I could read him pretty well – drunk or sober.

"I’m in a hurry to get home, Logan.  No time to grant favors."

"How about we spend some time together, Ronnie? Come on … for old time's sake.  Get to know each other again."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not? Will your boyfriend get jealous? I hear he's not too happy about the amount of time you spend with Wallace. How much would he hate it if you started hanging out with me?"

"I wouldn't be able to measure it with existing technology."

As he continued to talk, his words slurred. "What does he have that I don't? First, Lilly.  Now, you." He grabbed my arms and pinned me to the side of my car. "You never really gave me a chance, Veronica."

I tried to get my arm free so I could reach for my taser, but his grip was stronger than I expected. He leaned in to kiss me. As I turned my head away from his lips, he shifted just enough that I had room to lift my leg and knee him in the groin. While he was doubled over in pain, I took out my taser.

Leaving him crumpled on the ground, I got into my car and locked the door. As I started up the engine, I saw something move in my peripheral vision. There was someone standing in the shadows nearby. Judging by the height and the stance … if I had to guess, I'd say it was Thumper.

**~*~*~**

The following day was a long one. When I had first gone back to work, I was only working one evening a week. Then, that had increased to two evenings. This was the first week that I was scheduled for a full eight hours on a Saturday. It would have been exhausting enough, but I had also worked Friday evening.

No matter how I tried to hide it from my dad, he knew that I was tired most of the time – my doctor would have used the word “fatigue.”  After using my brain at school, it was difficult to be around the constant stimulation at work – the variety of sounds and too many people. Not to mention trying to do tasks that should have been easy, but were still difficult for me. The doctor kept telling me that it was not uncommon for some symptoms to linger.  Guess that's why they call it post-concussion syndrome.

When my brain was tired and I became overwhelmed by stimuli, the next step was usually for me to become frustrated. Mostly with myself. However, sometimes another person got caught in the crossfire. If, for example, someone wanted me to do a task faster – when I was having trouble doing it at all – I would get upset and have difficulty biting my tongue. I managed to not yell at customers, but my coworkers weren't always so lucky.

Sometimes, my dad was on the receiving end. I'm not sure that he completely understood how difficult it was for me dealing with the brain injury, but he did get that my symptoms – on top of the trauma of the bus crash, the survivor's guilt I felt, and the grief over losing yet another friend – were enough to cause a nun to have angry outbursts at the end of a long day.

This had been one of those days. By the time I walked out to my car after my Saturday shift, I just wanted to get home to our quiet apartment where cozy PJs and my favorite blanket awaited me.

Glancing around, I saw that Logan wasn't waiting for me tonight. For that, I was thankful. However, I did have a welcoming committee.

The PCH Bike Club had my car surrounded. Looked like I'd be having a little chat with the guys before I could pull out of my parking space to go home.

My keys were in my hand as I approached my car. "Good evening, fellas." I glanced at Eli, who was leaning against his bike.

He took a few steps toward me. "We need to get something straightened out." He was clearly upset and was speaking loudly enough for all of them to hear him.

"It's been a long couple of days … I guess I still need extra rest. Can we talk tomorrow, Weevil?  All I wanna do right now is crawl into a comfy bed."

One of the guys said, "Yeah, I bet you do."

Eli reached for Thumper's phone and played me a video of Logan kissing me the night before. "Don't you think an explanation is in order?"

Being reminded of dealing with Logan in a drunken state was not my idea of fun. "As a matter of fact, I do. You see that, right? The look of surprise and disgust on my face? You see me struggling?" I watched his face for any reaction, but there was none. "You know, there was a time if one of your guys saw something like that happening to me, they would have been over there in an instant protecting me – not adding it to their video collection."

Without responding, he crossed his arms and stared at me.

Shaking my head, I took a few steps toward my car. "You ever want to have a rational conversation that involves facts, I'll be happy to take your call."

Before I reached my car, he grabbed my arm. "I'm not through talking to you, woman."

"Woman?! What's up with you tonight?"

"There was a time you understood that there are things I don't tolerate. Like any girl of mine spending more time with another guy than she does with me. But three guys?"

"Three?! You're talking about Wallace, Duncan, and who? Logan?"

"Even when I'm not around, my boys keep me informed of your … activities. Seems that at least one of them is always around. But flaunting Echolls in my face? That crosses the line."

"I told you he keeps coming up and talking to me. I have no control over him. And last night? He was drunk. If you'd have returned my call last night, I would have told you what he said."

" _Me vale madres_ _lo que dijo._ " He spat the words at me and then leaned in as he asked, “How long have you been seeing Echolls behind my back?"

"I'm not … I told you he was drunk. It should be obvious from the video that I did not want him to kiss me."

“ _No me mientas._  Are we watching the same video?"

A few of the guys did a bad job of stifling their laughter. And I did a bad job of controlling my emotions.

Tears threatened to stream from my eyes as I replied, "Yes, but what it doesn't show is him falling to the ground after I kneed him in the nuts and tasered his ass."

"You're right. It doesn't show that."

Yelling and crying at the same time, words flew out of my mouth. "Is there any answer that would satisfy you? Are you planning to beat it out of me? Get me to admit whatever the hell it is you think I did? Think maybe I'll crack if you apply duress?" I had slipped my hand down into my bag. He didn't even flinch when I pulled out my taser, offering it to him. "Here. Use this if you like." Finally, I put the taser in his hand. "My answer will be the same. I didn't kiss Logan. And I'm not seeing anyone else."

For a long minute, we stood there in a tense standoff.

My heart was still racing, but my breathing had steadied and my tears had slowed down. Looking into his eyes, I said, "What do you want from me?"

"Nothing.   _Ya no quiero nada de ti_.”

"I'm not sure why you'd believe any of that about me. But I have enough going on right now. I don't need boyfriend drama too." I shrugged. "Believe me … don't believe me. After the day I've had, I'm done here." I reached toward the car door to put my key in the lock.

"Then, I guess we're done."

I turned to face him. He narrowed his eyes and glared at me as he dropped the taser into my bag.

* * *

 _me vale madres_ _lo que dijo_ = I don’t give a f*** what he said

 _no me mientas_ = don’t lie to me

 _ya no quiero nada de ti_ = I don’t want anything from you anymore

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m guessing that most of you were screaming “wtf!” at the screen while you were reading parts of Chapter 10 and 11. As I said, the “missing scenes” will be revealed soon. Chapter 12 will answer some questions.
> 
> I've been dreading the day this chapter would get posted. I can't begin to tell you how much I cringed when I saw that last scene play out in my head a year ago. It was so painful to write out that argument.
> 
> Please hang in there with me. I know that Part 2 has some rough moments – some of the roughest in this series – but there are also some wonderful moments. Like Eli at her bedside in the hospital or their night at the B&B. There are more of those to come. I am a romantic through and through – and I believe that their happy ending in Part 5 will be all the more gratifying because of what they endure along the road they travel to get there. A different version of what Logan described as: “Spanning years and continents. Ruined lives. Bloodshed. Epic.”
> 
> BTW … I borrowed the phrase “be able to measure it with existing technology” from the 1987 John Hughes classic "Some Kind of Wonderful."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains bits of #2.6 "Rat Saw God," #2.7 "Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner," #2.8 "Ahoy Mateys," and #2.9 "My Mother, the Fiend."

Less than 36 hours after the argument in the parking lot of Java the Hut, I pulled into the school parking lot with Spanish lyrics blaring from my speakers. My mind translated lyrics that my heart wished it did not comprehend:

"I don't know how to live without you

I can't forget you

This emptiness is so immense I can't breathe"

From behind my sunglasses, I watched the PCHers closely enough to know they heard the song. None of them looked sympathetic. Weevil's face was like granite.

It looked like it was going to be an unbearable day. To be expected, I guess, since it followed one of the worst weeks ever.

The death of a trusted friend. Attending a funeral where many considered me unwelcome.

An unwanted kiss from Logan on Friday. A painful kiss-off from Weevil on Saturday.

Kiss kiss. Bang bang. It felt like my life was imploding and exploding at the same time. This blonde had a bombshell dropped on her. And there was very little I could do about it right now … other than let the dust settle and deal with the fallout.

I had cried most of the day Sunday. I was physically and emotionally exhausted. Dad was understandably concerned. He invited the Fennels over that evening for pizza and a movie, hoping to cheer me up.

Wallace had asked me, "What happens now?"

I gave him the only reply that I could: "I honestly don't know."

Life had been brutal recently. Who am I kidding? The past two years had been brutal.

No explanation from Duncan when he broke up with me. Lilly murdered. My mother drinking heavily and then deserting us. The events at Shelly Pomroy's party. The possibility that I was Jake Kane's daughter. Aaron Echolls trying to kill me and get the evidence I had against him. The bus crash … Cervando dead … me in a coma. The PCH mess brought about by what Thumper was involved in … Felix's death … and the effect of that on Eli and his relationship with me.

Life had definitely been much simpler when I had yet to experience the darker aspects of life in Neptune.

When the movie ended and the Fennels finally went home, I showered and got my things ready for Monday morning. Attempting, but failing to go to sleep, I laid in bed thinking. Appropriately, these lyrics floated through my mind:

"Lying in my bed, I hear the clock tick and think of you.  
Caught up in circles, confusion is nothing new.  
Flashback: warm nights almost left behind,  
suitcases of memories …"

My mind was running through events and conversations during the past several weeks – much of which I could remember, some of which was foggy. The doctor had told me to expect that when I didn't sleep well, my brain would have trouble filing the memories from the previous day for later recall. It was frustrating for many reasons.

I've always relied on my brain. Along with my disarming wit and charm, my brain is my weapon of choice. I'm not Xena or Buffy or Wonder Woman. I wasn't born with physical strength to spare. Now, if I could find the geniuses who put the extra hardware into the Bionic Woman, maybe I could fight off the bad guys with girl power. But in my current body, I really needed my mind to be running at peak capacity.

There were not that many fuzzy spots or holes in recent events, but there were a few. Although that concerned me, I really didn't have the time to dwell on that.

Mostly, I was thankful that Felix and Weevil had worked out a plan ahead of time. And that Weevil and I had had a chance to talk about how this stage of it would go down.

Memories from Homecoming weekend played in my head. I found it hard to believe that had only been a week ago. One hellishly long week.

When Brigida had delivered the news about Felix, the romantic setting of our suite abruptly became a war room. After she left us alone, Eli finally told me what Felix had said in his voicemail: he had overheard a conversation Thumper had with his girl. Reading between the lines of what Felix said, we now had a better idea what Thumper was up to. That was good.

But Felix added – after apologizing for ruining our weekend – that it might be time to put the plan in motion because Thumper was acting twitchy. Maybe Thumper knew that Felix had heard them talking. If so, that was not good. Not good at all.

As soon as he finished telling me about the message, Eli called Letty to get an update. That was when we found out Felix had been taken back into surgery.

While Eli had been in the shower, he got another voicemail from a number he did not recognize. After talking to his grandma, he began to listen to the new voicemail and quickly put it on speaker so I could hear. It was Felix's voice. Apparently, he had regained consciousness long enough to borrow someone's phone to call Eli with more information. Letty hadn't mentioned him waking up. We wondered if anyone knew he had been awake long enough to tell someone what happened.

Here's what we found out from his message: Thumper figured out that Felix knew at least some of what he had been doing, but Felix had convinced him that he hadn't told Eli anything yet. So, the two of us should be safe for now.

He also explained what happened on the bridge. When they found Logan, he was drunk, standing on the railing, and looking for a fight. He kicked Hector in the head and knocked him out. Thumper pulled him down and started beating him. Everyone else joined in. Felix had given orders to a few of the guys to take care of Hector's bike and get him out of there. Somewhere in the chaos, Thumper must have sent all of the others on their way, leaving Felix alone with him and Logan. The last thing Felix remembered was the look on Thumper's face as he lunged toward him with a knife in his hand.

As we listened to Felix's message, we had to make some assumptions because some of his thoughts were unfinished. He seemed groggy as he spoke. It got worse toward the end. The last thing he said was: "Watch your back. And take care of your girl."

When we finished discussing the voicemails and listening to each of them a second time, Eli forwarded them to me before deleting them from his phone.

Then, I pulled up a picture on my phone screen and showed it to him – one of Eli and Felix together. I could see the weight of the situation hit him as he looked at the photo. Pulling him into a hug, I said, "Let it out. Once we get back to Neptune, we'll both need to be on our guard. If your emotions get in the way, it could put both of us in danger – and you know it."

Anger and shock shifted to sobering concern and overwhelming sadness. I held him until we ran out of tears.

Finally, we talked about the plan. The backup plan that he and Felix had devised. Now, the two of us would have to try to pull this off by ourselves. Our hand had been forced. We weren't entirely surprised. In fact, we had expected that something would force us to act. But there was no way we could have seen this coming.

Bri made us eat a little something before we left. After she was satisfied that we were both okay to drive, she had Ben unlock Eli's motorcycle. She went all maternal on him when she was saying goodbye. It was obvious how worried she was.

As he walked me to my car, I was reminded of a scene in the movie Some Kind of Wonderful – the one where Watts tries to talk Keith out of going head-to-head with the school's obligatory psychotic jackass. She had said to him: "In another year, you're gone. Better to swallow pride than blood."

Much as I would have liked to encourage Eli to take the path of least violence, I knew there was no way out of this that wasn't messy.

All I could do was say "I love you" and remind him to be careful.

**~*~**

My mind had drifted as I drove back to Neptune that day. Although I had taken care of some details prior to that, there were still things to be done. I used the time alone in the car to run through a mental checklist.

Even before I knew exactly what he and Felix were planning, it was obvious that we would need to have tech support in place. With Dad's approval, I had purchased disposable cellphones, plus extra GPS trackers. I found a cross pendant that looked almost exactly like the one Eli usually wore, but this new one had a GPS tracker and a bug. If he was wearing it, I would be able to locate him and hear what was going on.

Although I would occasionally be checking Weevil's location and listening to the surveillance recordings at the end of each day, Mac would be monitoring the locations of all the trackers and phones throughout the day. If something happened to either of us, she would let my dad know ASAP.

As she liked to remind me: "Please, respect the business model, Veronica. I do the gadgets. You do the actual espionage."

**~*~**

We weren't sure how long we would have before we would put the next phase of our plan into motion. We just knew it would be soon. The week after Felix's death, we had to use our time wisely, while looking for an opportunity to knock over the first domino.

That opportunity came in the form of a drunken former friend. I had told Eli that Logan kept trying to talk to me at school and that he dropped by The Hut regularly. Last Friday night, as soon as I realized that Thumper had been watching when Logan tried to kiss me, I called Eli. I told him what happened, adding, "You'll probably be hearing from him soon."

About an hour later, I got a call from him on my burner phone. He said that Thumper had just played him a video of the kiss, but it cut out before the knee and the taser. Thumper had already shown it to the rest of the PCHers. For months, he had been trying to convince them that if Weevil were an effective leader, then he would be "able to control his woman."

With resignation in his voice, he said, "This is it."

"I know."

"We need to make this look good."

"I know that, too."

"I've got some time now for us to rehearse. I told the boys that I'm gonna meet up with the chick from the other weekend."

And he was. Because he was talking about being with me at the B&B.

"Let me make a call. See you there in 20 minutes," I told him.

**~*~**

I had made arrangements with Leo to use his band's rehearsal space when it came time for us to practice our breakup fight. The soundproof walls meant that we didn't have to worry about anyone overhearing.

When we first got there, I asked him how he was doing. Even though I knew he wouldn't want to talk about it much, the funeral had been earlier in the day. Since we had already begun playing to the audience, we had barely spoken to one another at the church or cemetery. When I had reached out to him, he had pulled away from my touch. However here in this room alone, he let me hold him as he simply replied, "It was a rough day."

Then, we took some time to talk about how the fight should go. He wanted the PCHers right there to see it. We knew it needed to be soon and decided on the next night. After some improv in normal tones of voice, we did a full run-through with the shouting, the glaring, and the threatening.

I had almost forgotten this part of his personality. After getting to know his softer side, it was easy to forget how truly dangerous he could be. I was glad that we were actually on the same side of this fight.

Although I had seen him angry before, I'd never seen him like this. If I weren't completely sure of his love for me, I'd have been scared out of my mind. Frightening doesn't begin to describe the look in his eyes and the way the muscles around them narrowed, not to mention his clenched fists and the tight muscles around his set jaw.

He worked himself into a rage. And that rage made him even more imposing than normal. He seemed taller; his shoulders and chest broader.

The furious words he spat at me felt like punches. We had never been a couple who fought. And I was incredibly thankful for that. Because both of us had deadly aim. The impact of his words hit my gut, spun my head, and bruised my heart.

He walked away from me when he had said, "Then, I guess we're done."

Setting my bag down, I turned my back to him so he wouldn't see how much it had affected me. What I didn't realize was how much it had affected him. He paced on the other side of the room for a couple minutes and then walked up behind me.

Gently placing his hands on my arms, he asked, "Are you okay?"

I didn't know how to answer that.

Cautiously, he moved his hands to my hips. " _Nena_ , talk to me."

Leaning back against him, I said, "Don't wanna talk. No more words right now."

His voice was soft in my ear, "Okay. What do you need?"

Every fiber of my being ached. I ached with yearning for Eli's touch and in grief over Felix's death.

I rolled his question over in my head. What did I need right now?

While I was considering my answer, he wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed the side of my neck.

A few seconds later, I turned around in his embrace. Looking directly into his eyes, I boldly said, "I need you. Now. I need to feel how much you love me."

He took in my words, but also the look that must have been on my face. I could tell that he saw how hurt I was by the fake fight. And I could tell from his eyes that it had been painful for him too. For the next half hour or so, we expressed enough passion to remove the pain.

At one point during sex, he asked, "You know how much I love you,  _Mia_  – don't you?  _Eres mía._  You're mine. And I'm yours." With each thrust, he ordered me, "Say it,  _Mia_. Say you're mine."

"I'm yours."

"Again."

"I'm yours."

"Only mine."

"Only yours."

After his release, he dropped his head to rest on my shoulder and whispered, "Again, Mia."

"I'm yours." Then, I gave him a kiss that was much more tender than the sex had been. "And you're mine."

He leaned his forehead into mine. "I wish I had words to explain what I feel for you, how much I feel for you."

"I told you that I didn't want words right now," I teased. "Besides, 'I love you' works pretty well when the person means what they're saying."

A few minutes later, our clothes were back on, he had disposed of the condom, and we were ready to leave.

Taking me in his arms again, he said, "I hate that we have to do this, but I need more time to figure things out. Hopefully, this will give both of us a little cover while I do that." He held my face, his thumbs stroking my cheekbones as he said, "Please forgive me for anything I have to say or do to make this convincing in front of them."

"There's nothing to forgive. Just … be careful." After several goodbye kisses that could easily have led to more sex, I asked, "When Logan inevitably comes up to talk to me, how do you want me to play it?"

"We have to assume Thumper saw the whole thing. If you play nice with Logan, he'll know something's up. Just deal with it when it happens. You could be a little distraught and heartbroken after our 'breakup.' But don't you dare let him comfort you."

Making my best sad face, I asked, "Am I allowed to let anyone comfort me?"

"Backup," he said, deadly serious. "Okay, your dad. Maybe Wallace. Mac. Other female friends." Reacting to my facial expression, he continued, "I'm serious. A lot of guys wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of a vulnerable young lady. Especially one as beautiful as yourself." With a hand tenderly placed on the right side of my face and neck, he whispered into my left ear, "When this is over, I will do whatever it takes to help you get over the pain."

His touch, his words, and his seductive tone caused a shiver to run through my body.

It took a moment for me to gather my next thought. "Guess when I get home, I have to tell Dad what's coming down tomorrow. I wouldn't be surprised if he watches from a distance. Just in case they try anything. Oh – and I need to at least send Mac and Wallace a quick text so they can prepare themselves."

He gave me one more kiss before saying, "Text me on the burner if we need to reschedule the fight. Otherwise, see you tomorrow night after work."

**~*~*~**

All day at work on Saturday, I kept running through the script of the fight in my head. I tried to prepare myself. And I thought I was. Prepared, that is. I thought I was prepared for what it would feel like to fake the fight and the breakup, but it was harsher than I anticipated and more painful than I could have imagined. Worst part was, neither of us knew how long we would have to carry on this charade.

We had begun to lay the foundation for the fake breakup when I was at the hospital the day Felix died. The way Eli snapped at me and told me to leave. The way he distanced himself from me and the fact that he wouldn't allow me to offer him physical comfort that day in the waiting room or at the funeral. The way he treated me at school – like I was merely a source of information and a convenient piece of ass. All of those things added up to the narrative we wanted people to believe – that the rumors were true, that our relationship was in trouble, that he didn't trust me, that he was using me.

After crying my way through Sunday, I played the wounded ex-girlfriend when I arrived at school Monday morning. I settled into a new routine of emotional expression – looking slightly spaced out most of the time, interspersed with strategically placed longing glances. I think my performance was convincing. His certainly was. The old swagger was back with the accompanying cold, calculating stare. Damn. He almost had me convinced.

My plan that day was fairly simple: avoid him as much as possible. That worked for the first few hours. But then, he bumped into me in the hallway between classes.

"Miss me that much? You have to find an excuse to touch me?"

Thumper commented something about another girl named Mia. A wicked grin played at the corner of Eli's mouth.

It was painful to let this play out like an ex-boyfriend torturing me in front of his friends. But I steeled myself against the coming words and let the pain show in my expression.

After a few seconds of glaring at me, he laughed and said, "Where do you think I was the other weekend? When my phone was off and all your calls went straight to voicemail?"

I'm sure that I looked stunned, but I didn't respond.

When he walked away, Mac said, "I know this is fake, but that was pretty harsh. You don't think he's actually seeing this Mia chick, do you?"

"Yeah, he is." Lowering my voice, I added, "That's his private nickname for me."

Mac's eyes went wide as she softly exclaimed, "Oh!"

**~*~**

That afternoon, I was in the office to drop something off. Eli bumped into me again.

Grabbing my arm, he kept his voice low as he asked, "Do we need to set up a time to meet?"

My words were soft, but my body language would read as if he was harassing me. "No. I'm fine."

"Doesn't look like you're fine. This is all an act?"

"90% of it anyway. You need to quit acting like a concerned boyfriend."

"Something I should be concerned about?"

"Yeah. Solve the case. Fast. So this can be over."

**~*~*~**

The next evening, I was listening to the recording captured from the new cross pendant I had given Eli. He had been called to Miss James' office. She explained that I had talked to her.

I made arrangements for Mac to tutor him during our fake breakup. He would need to switch to another history section so he had study hall at the same time as Mac's independent study. They would meet in the conference room next to Miss James' office and she would sit at the other end of the table doing paperwork during the tutoring session.

Keeping our circle as small as possible, I had not let Miss James in on the fact that the breakup wasn't real.

She explained to him that it was his choice, but she strongly recommended that he take this option so that he would not fall behind in his classes. He told her to set it up and let him know when it would start.

At the end of the day, Miss James followed Eli out of the building to tell him that his new schedule would start the next day. "Here is the form to give to your study hall teacher tomorrow. Just show up there for attendance each day. Here is a permanent hall pass for that class period from now 'til the end of the semester … in case you get stopped on the way to my office."

By that point, he must have had a good view of the parking lot.

I heard him say, "Thanks, Miss James. I gotta get going."

"Is everything okay, Eli?"

"All due respect, we're not in a counseling session. I don't have to answer your questions."

"You're right. But if you need to talk …"

"I know where to find you."

I had been there to hear and see what happened next. As he got on his bike, he glanced over at Thumper and a couple others who had gathered around my car. He whistled and waved them over like he was impatient to leave. Even from a distance, he was protecting me.

What I couldn't hear at the time was this: "Just leave her alone. She's not worth the effort. Bigger things to deal with.  _Vámonos_."

**~*~*~**

While I was faking a breakup (but not the aching heart – because this was getting to me more than I would ever admit to Eli), Dad was busy with a few cases. He knew I was already overloaded, so he did not ask for any assistance beyond fielding calls and a quick background check for Cliff.

My father was still working on getting the other Manning girls away from their parents. The lawyer for their aunt, Chris Talley, seemed to think they needed just a bit more evidence to ensure the custody case went their way. I, for one, would be thrilled to see the two younger sisters reunited with Meg in Seattle. That would be the happiest ending for them that I could imagine.

Dad had also recently been hired by the parents of Marcos Oliveres, one of the kids who died in the bus crash. They seemed to think that the school board was trying to scare them. Mac provided a bit of tech support. In the process, she identified Marcos as Cap'n Krunk of "Ahoy Mateys" fame – well, as famous as one can get hosting a pirate radio show with a cult following made up almost exclusively of Neptune High students. Amazing that he had been able to keep it a secret, but then, he had barely opened his mouth at school.

In between other cases, Dad was still tracking down leads on the bus crash. I didn't realize how much time he had been spending on that until I stumbled upon a dead rat in the office freezer. When I asked him about it, he told me that he had gone to take a look at the bus after they brought it up. Although he didn't get to spend as much time there as he would have liked because a security guard had shown up, he did find the rat taped to the bottom of a seat. Neither of us was sure what it meant, but it would explain the smell that caused most of the 09ers to rent a limo for the drive home.

As our conversation was ending, Dad admitted, "You were right, Veronica. I should have run for Sheriff. I should have taken over this case."

**~*~*~**

Amidst all the crazy that was already swirling at Neptune High School, there was another scandal at school. One not related to the bus crash or the murder of a gang member. Apparently, our school is filled with overachievers – which is not necessarily a good thing.

Even after it all came crashing down, I was still trying to figure out precisely who had anonymously given information to the tabloid that outed the guilty party. There were details from police records and news articles from 1980 and school records dating back to 1979. The events had occurred during my mother's time at Neptune High and hers was one of the familiar names that appeared in the recent tabloid stories. Other names were Deborah Hauser (now teacher, then student), Van Clemmons (then a young science teacher), and the Vice Principal at the time, Alan Moorehead.

If you believe the scuttlebutt and the yarn printed as fact, Principal Moorehead had gotten a student pregnant. She left the baby on his doorstep. Then, he left the baby in a girl's restroom at the school on prom night.

Trina Echolls finally had her fifteen minutes of fame separate from the Echolls family name. She had known that she was adopted, but not that she was "the prom baby," which is what the news articles at the time had dubbed her.

I'm fairly certain that her real mother – a lunch lady named Mary Mooney, who had been a friend of my mother – would have been happy to live in obscurity. That would only be possible when this scandal faded into the background after a new one was exposed.

The primary results were the firing of Mr. Moorehead and the promotion of Mr. Clemmons.

My overactive imagination would point out that Clemmons did not seem a bit sad about his new title of Principal. Although he had never struck me as the type of person to whack someone in the knee with a crowbar to satisfy his craving for a gold medal, he really was the only one to benefit from the scandal. Well, aside from Trina being in the center ring of the media circus.

**~*~*~**

It had become my habit to listen to surveillance audio each evening, just to be sure things were going according to plan – or at least, not going off the rails.

During a tutoring session, Eli was working on a particularly difficult math problem. It made me nostalgic for the days when our relationship was a secret and we weren't in danger.

This particular day, Mac had been tasked with passing information. On the recording, I heard him hand her one notebook as she slid another to him. She told him that she had looked at his essay like he asked her to. She made a few suggestions.

Sliding her laptop in front of him, she said, "Also, you might want to take a look at this chart. You might find it helpful."

On the screen was some info from me. The top page of the notebook she had slid over to him contained two gmail addresses and the password for his.

Tapping the computer screen, she said to him, "If you find that helpful, I could email it to you."

"Yeah. That'd be great. Thanks."

I could hear him tear a page from the notebook and fold it up. All of this was happening right under Miss James' nose and she was none the wiser.

Mac was tutoring him every day, which gave him more time after school to find out what Thumper had been up to and to solve Felix's murder. She was able to pass information to him. And I was able to listen in. Hearing his voice when he was with Mac helped me know how he was really doing. It was harder to tell when he was with the PCHers, putting on an act for Thumper and any of the others who might be helping him.

By the time I listened to the recording of the most recent tutoring session, the information he had been looking at was already waiting in his inbox, along with some additional stuff I had found after he met with Mac.

I was about to fast-forward through the recording when I heard that he was still talking to Mac as they walked out of the conference room.

"Need you to keep an eye on her for me."

"You know she's listening to this, right?"

"Yeah. She can punch me later." There was a brief pause, then he lowered his voice even more. "There are some gaps in her memory. And she gets dizzy, has trouble with her balance. I'm not sure if she's told you or if you've noticed, but I need to know that someone's looking out for her when I can't."

Later that day, I got an email reply from Eli thanking me for setting up the tutoring sessions and email accounts so we could pass information. He also mentioned that he was glad that my health class project was over. He couldn't handle seeing Duncan and me co-parenting – even if it wasn't a real baby, but rather an "animatronic parental lifestyle simulator."

**~*~*~**

Logan had been arrested within 24 hours of Felix's death, but he had made bail the next day. When Sheriff Lamb gave him a ride home, they found the place all lit up with flashing lights, not to mention the flames engulfing the house.

I heard about it the next day, of course. But I also got a flurry of texts and an email from Eli with an attached document. Logan had purchased his grandmother's house. Rather than harassing them by doing something like raising their rent, he chose to evict them.

When Logan had come to me asking for help, I agreed to assist Cliff with his case, but it would have to be on my terms.

"What exactly are these terms?"

"You can't evict his family. He didn't order them to do this."

"Why are you so concerned about your ex?"

Opting not to answer his question, I simply asked him one in return. "Do we have a deal?"

"Will you give me your friends and family rate?"

Extending my hand toward him, we shook on it.

As soon as I had a moment to myself, I texted Eli's burner phone:  _house situation solved_.

A couple seconds later, my phone buzzed with an incoming call.

"How'd you manage that so fast?"

"You won't like it."

"That usually my line." He laughed and then became serious again. "Tell me anyway."

"Doing some work for Cliff, who happens to be representing Logan."

"You're right. I don't like it. But it's better than being homeless. Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"No, I think I will mention it. Seriously … thank you. When all this is over, I'll make sure she knows you're the one who did this."

"I don't want credit. I just want you safe. And back in my arms again."

"Soon, Mia."

* * *

_nena_  = baby

_eres mía_  = you're mine

_vámonos_  = let's go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully, this chapter eased some of the pain and anxiety caused by Chapter 10 & 11\. 
> 
> As I'm sure you can guess, there is still some bumpy terrain ahead during the remaining months of senior year, while they deal with Thumper and the bus crash.
> 
> Songs mentioned in this chapter: "No se vivir sin ti" – David Bustamante (2002) and "Time After Time" – Cyndi Lauper (1983)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last week, I meant to point out that I posted Chapter 11 & 12 the same day. Didn't want to leave you with a cliffhanger, but didn't mean to cause confusion either.
> 
> Not sure if you missed Chapter 11? It begins with them leaving the B&B, includes scenes at the hospital and funeral, and it ends with the argument in the parking lot. Chapter 12 then revealed missing portions of 10 & 11, which explained and gave context for the argument, etc.
> 
> ~*~
> 
> This chapter contains bits of #2.9 "My Mother, the Fiend."

A couple nights later, I got a call from Eli from his burner phone to mine. He gave me a heads up that he would be talking to me at school the next day – in front of watching eyes. We came up with a rough script for the bit of theater we'd be performing in the hallway. Before I went to bed, I carefully selected my wardrobe.

As I got out of my car in the morning, I was ultra-aware of the non-length of my miniskirt. As I leaned back in to get something I had intentionally left on the seat, I was also aware that I was being watched. Walking toward the school, I added a little extra wiggle for the benefit of the onlookers.

At my locker, it seemed like any other ordinary day. Wallace dropped by while I was getting my books, plus running through the many lists in my head while following what Wallace was saying. But it was not an ordinary day.

I could see that the PCHers had gathered at the end of the hall and were all looking my way. Wallace even noticed.

"Veronica, what did you do now? I mean, I'm assuming they're not glaring at me."

"You're gonna throw me to the wolves? Nice manners, BFF."

"I was thinking more … human shield." 

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see them moving toward us. Eli gave a chin lift in Wallace's direction indicating that he should leave us alone. The others had stopped a few feet away, but they were close enough to overhear if we wanted them to.

Before walking away, Wallace put a hand on my arm. "You okay here?"

I gave him a reassuring look. "Yeah, I'm good. See you at lunch." Still facing my locker, I acknowledged Eli's presence with a single syllable. "What?"

With his back turned to the guys, he whispered, "Ready?" He waited a second before diving in. He circled around me like a panther, coming to rest against the locker next to mine, facing the other PCHers.

He ran a finger down my arm, following it with his eyes. Then, his gaze continued down my legs.

"I need a favor, V. Was hoping you could … be of service." He spoke slowly, seductively. As his words floated past my ears, his fingertips roamed lazily over nearly every available inch of exposed skin.

"A favor? What do I get in return?"

"The pleasure of my company. You know you never had it so good. Not gonna find satisfaction like that with any of the rich white boys around here."

"You really think that's all it takes? Snap your fingers like you're the second coming of Fonzi and I'll come running? Better yet, fall to my knees … grateful enough for your attention that I'd do you right here in the hallway?" My words were harsh, but I laced my tone with heartbroken wavering. They would think I was cracking under his spell.

He moved his hand to my throat – resting at the base, stroking my collarbone with his thumb.

"The way I see it, you can either dig up the info I need and then I'll spend some time reminding you how good you had it. Or… you can refuse my offer and then me and my boys will have some fun making your life hell."

"Oh, mother, may I please make a deal with the devil?"

"Think it over. And I'll drop by your dad's office after school so you can agree to my offer."

Dad was out of town for a couple of days. I had told Eli that last night. This little charade was serving double duty. The PCHers really did need some info I had access to, but he and I were in need of … well, let's call it a conjugal visit.

I stayed very still, trying to play this like the ex-girlfriend that everyone thought I was. I tried to convey fear, sadness, and desperation. Inside, every nerve ending was lit up with excitement. All I wanted to do was kiss him.

And I would. Later.

**~*~**

That afternoon as I pulled out of the school parking lot, I was followed by all the members of the PCH Bike Club. It would have been intimidating, except for the fact that Weevil and I were playing them.

After I had gotten out of my car and walked to the sidewalk in front of our office building, Weevil took off his helmet and gave me a long stare. I looked at the ground, sighed, and then raised my head to give him a nod of agreement. Only after I gave him our prearranged signal did he get off his bike. He gave Thumper a fist bump and a nod. With that, the others drove off leaving the two of us alone on the sidewalk.

He glanced down the street and verified that they had turned the corner. Then, he opened the door for me. The charade was on pause for now.

When we got into the office, I immediately locked the door behind us. I grabbed a few things from my desk and then led him into my dad's office. Call me paranoid, but if Thumper or one of the others decided to come back and bust through the door, I wanted the extra second or two of warning we would get by being in there.

As soon as we stepped through the doorway, Eli pulled me in for a kiss. Then, he asked, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is playing this game?"

"Right there with ya," I replied.

"But it's necessary right now. You're safer if they think you mean nothing to me."

"I get it. And I agreed to the plan. But would you hurry up and look at this stuff? Because I think there are better ways to spend this precious time together."

Standing behind my dad's desk, I opened my laptop and pulled up the information I had already located. The guys assumed he was just telling me now, but he had told me on the phone last night what he needed. I was leaning on the desk as I opened the files and he was right behind me.

"You know you're killing me with this miniskirt, right?"

"I always choose my costume carefully."

"I don't think I've seen you wear anything this short since … that night at Club Mojo."

"You would be correct."

He wrapped his left arm around my waist and looked over my shoulder at the screen. I could tell when he was done absorbing all the pertinent information because his right hand started sliding up my thigh toward the hem of my skirt. His left arm pulled me upright and pressed my back into his abdomen. As he began kissing the side of my neck, I began to move involuntarily.

A few moments later, I spun in his arms, my lips needing to find his. He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around him. He walked us over to the wall. As my back hit the flat surface, he seemed to be having second thoughts.

"You sure about this? 'Cause if this goes on much longer …"

I reached down into my bra and produced a condom. "That answer your question?"

"You planned this. Why do I suddenly feel like I've been seduced?"

"Anyone who saw that display in the hall this morning knows which one of us got seduced."

"Do they?" He was smirking as he leaned his upper body away from me.

I was all wide-eyed innocence paired with a heavy dose of sarcasm – a combination that was my bread and butter – as I asked, "Are you saying that life is an illusion? That nothing is what it seems to be?" Taking a beat to steady my breathing, I continued, "Now … would you please fuck your not-so-ex-girlfriend?"

His eyes went dark and a smile played at one corner of his mouth. "That dirty mouth of yours is a bit of a surprise. Makes me wonder what you prefer … this and the quickie after we rehearsed the fight … or the romantic weekend at the B&B."

In a breathy voice, I said, "Let's save the conversation for later. I'm on a schedule here, vato."

"Yes, ma'am."

There was very little talking after that. It was amazing. Beyond memorable. In fact, I'll never be able to look at the wall in my father's office the same way again.

When we were finished, he took one last look at my laptop screen. Then, he kissed me before saying, "I'm hoping it won't be too much longer. A couple of weeks at most. But I doubt we'll be able to arrange another meeting like this."

"I know. If Thumper has anyone keeping eyes on you, we can't risk it." I tapped my lip with my finger. "But if you'd like to drop by my locker or lunch table and make lewd comments that they can laugh at, it would at least be an opportunity to talk out in the open."

"Might take you up on that." With one last kiss placed on my forehead, he started to walk out into the main part of the office. "I'll try to call every couple of days. If things start to get tense, make sure to check in with me."

"And if I don't get a reply, I should check the normal PCH meeting spots … and of course, the school flagpole."

"Be sure to bring a knife and a change of clothes for me. And if I'm not in those places, check the hospital and the morgue."

"I can't believe we're joking about this."

"It is what it is, V."

His phone rang. "It's Hector," he said before he answered, "Yeah, man. Just about to leave. Got everything I came for." He laughed darkly. "Yeah. She's a good girl … very accommodating."

I could hear laughter on the other end of the line. He shook his head but played along.

When he hung up, he said, "I apologize in advance for anything that they say tomorrow at school."

"Can't be any worse than what's already been said."

I unlocked the door and let him out. Then, I stayed in the office to return some phone calls and do some filing. The radio was tuned to my father's favorite classic rock station while I worked.

"Cursing the quest,

Courting disaster.

Measureless nights forebode.

Moments of rest,

Glimpses of laughter

Are treasured along the road."

**~*~*~**

It was a good thing that we had a chance to reconnect because I could tell by the way Eli looked at me that he was jealous about the amount of time I was spending with Duncan and Logan while helping them with their respective problems.

It bothered me as much as it bothered him that we couldn't talk openly at school. It didn't help at all that Duncan and Logan had no such restriction. The tension was palpable.

**~*~*~**

One Friday, Logan came to school looking like he had taken part in one of the fights he used to organize. When I asked him about it, he wouldn't give me any details. He just said he'd take care of it.

I didn't like the sound of that. His tone was menacing. It reminded me of his father.

**~*~**

Later that night, I watched the clock for the time Eli and I had set for a check-in phone call. The appointed time came and went. According to the image on my laptop screen, his GPS tracker was at his uncle's shop. After waiting half an hour, I finally called his burner phone. Getting no answer, I decided to go to the garage and check on him.

The nagging feeling in my gut was right. Something was wrong. His cross pendant was there, but he wasn't. His leather jacket was there too; both his phones were in the pocket. I took them with me and drove around checking the usual PCH spots – places they might have taken him if they realized what we were up to. I allowed myself to feel a mild amount of relief that I had not found him in any of those locations.

Just before dawn, I pulled into the school parking lot. As I rushed toward the flagpole, I was both relieved and sickened by what I saw. He was badly beaten, but he was alive.

After I cut him down, I helped him to the car and got him settled in the back seat. Then, I called Dad. I gave him a brief explanation of why I wasn't at home and told him that I was taking Eli to his cousin's house and I would be home later in the day.

Eli needed to lay low for the weekend. He needed time to think, as well as heal.

During the drive, Eli explained that it was Logan and a few other 09ers who jumped him. Then, he explained why. I was not happy about what he was telling me – that the PCHers had taken Logan and questioned him at gunpoint. I sort of understood why he had to go along with Thumper's idea to interrogate Logan. At least, he had done what he could to control the situation.

Obviously, Logan did not feel he had been given the VIP treatment. And decided it deserved payback.

While Eli had been waiting for me to show up, he had decided that the PCHers didn't need to know about what happened. He took his phone out of his jacket and texted Thumper that he would be unavailable most of the weekend. It was clear that Thumper assumed he was with Mia.

I had called ahead to let Bri and Ben know that we were on the way. She said she would have the first aid supplies ready. They were booked up this weekend, but she would put us in their room which had a private bathroom. They would sleep on the pullout couch in the office.

After getting him cleaned up, I filled the bathtub and added Epsom salts. He tried to talk me into getting into the tub with him, but with all the bruising on his body, I didn't think that was a good idea.

He seemed to feel better after soaking for a while. I put bandages on the cuts before helping him into soft clothing. When we climbed into bed, it took us several minutes to find a comfortable way for us to hold each other.

I thought he would go to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, but he wanted to talk. In a groggy voice, he told me about a dream he'd had recently. It involved me being handcuffed to the bed on the third floor where we had made love for the first time.

In an even tone, I asked, "Is that something you'd like to do to me?"

"Not gonna deny it … the dream was hot. But honestly, handcuffing you would prevent one of my favorite things … the feeling of your hands on my skin."

As my hand stroked his scalp, I said, "It's one of my favorite things, too."

Shortly after that, he fell asleep. I held him for a couple hours, napping part of the time myself.

Finally, around dinner time, I went downstairs and told Bri that I needed to head home. When she asked me if we were back together, I made the command decision to tell her the truth but asked her not to tell Letty – explaining that the fewer people who knew the truth, the safer we would be. Or at least, I hoped that we would be safe.

She figured out that I would not be able to come back to get him and said that she would make sure that someone got him home by Sunday night.

After thanking her for everything, I called Dad to tell him I was getting back on the road.

That weekend, Eli and I talked for hours – in person and on the phone. He didn't normally have the luxury of that much free time, nor the privacy to talk freely. I hated that he was in pain and that things had gotten even more dangerous for him, but for this window of time, I tried to enjoy the fact that we had this opportunity to talk.

**~*~*~**

During those hours of conversation, I had encouraged him to steer clear of Logan. But he couldn't let it alone. On Monday, he found Logan alone in the restroom and took the opportunity to retaliate.

As people were changing classes, they heard a fight happening, but nobody seemed to know who it was. I managed to get close enough to see Clemmons and a security guard force the door open and drag the two of them to the office.

Later, when Logan and I were talking about his case, he volunteered some details about the fight, including the fact that Eli had asked him if anything had ever happened between the two of us. He didn't tell me his answer or what Eli's reaction was. He simply said, "Your ex has trust issues."

That evening when I was listening to the surveillance audio, I discovered that Eli had not been wearing the cross pendant at the time of the fight. He must have left it in his locker, because I heard what sounded like hallway chatter.

After hearing what Logan had to say, it made me wonder what else had gone on between them. And why Eli didn't want me to hear it.

When I asked him about it, he replied, "Trust me."

They had both used that word. Trust.

Trust him? That was a no-brainer. I trusted Eli with my life.

And at the moment, I had to trust him. I didn't really have another option.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentioned in this chapter: "Along the Road" – Dan Fogelberg (1979)
> 
> ** A few months ago, I began moving my stories over here – slowly, since I'm trying to edit a bit as I go. This series began on FF two years ago. Beginning with the next update (Chapter 14), I will post on both websites on the same day. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains bits of #2.10 “One Angry Veronica.”

As Christmas approached, Dad got an unexpected paying client – the Balboa County Sheriff’s Department.  The videotapes of Lilly with Aaron Echolls went missing from the evidence room.  They brought Dad in to investigate.  He had just figured out how it happened when the guilty party decided to return the tapes.  Leo had intended to sell them for quick cash to pay the tuition at a private school for his ten-year-old sister Tina, who has Down Syndrome.  Dad went easy on Leo in the report, skirting around what actually happened.  Leo was still fired for failure to secure the evidence properly, but Lamb would never know that Leo had actually been the one to steal them.

Dad was disappointed in Leo but was glad that the case against Aaron would not be weakened.

**~*~*~**

Meanwhile, the fake breakup was still on.  We exchanged our Christmas gifts through Mac, dropping off and picking up our packages at her house. 

He got me a leather coat, promising long rides together when all this was over.  When I thanked him, I joked that he just wanted a back warmer now that the temperatures were cooler.  But I would not complain one bit if he asked me to wrap my arms and legs around him for long periods of time.

I got him some tools to add to his growing collection.  It was my way of affirming him and encouraging his plans to open his own shop as soon as he had the capital to do so.  I was so proud of what he had already accomplished with Neptune Trading Post.  I had no doubt that he would achieve anything he set his mind to.

**~*~*~**

Just as Christmas break was starting, Duncan headed up to Seattle to see Meg, who was now seven months pregnant.  His vacation would certainly be much more enjoyable than mine.

On the last day of school, I had gotten notice in the mail that I was selected to serve as a juror in Balboa County.  If asked under oath, I will gladly testify that civic duty is not festive. At. All.

I did, however, learn a lot as jury foreman.  And I got to know a women’s studies professor at Hearst College who seemed to think I would fit right in at that school.  When I told her that I had planned to leave Neptune as soon as graduation was over, not to mention that their tuition was more than I could afford, she did not seem deterred.  In fact, she started mentioning scholarships and grants.  Even gave me her business card and said to stay in touch. 

During the trial, it didn’t take long for people who knew me to find out which trial I had been assigned to.  Dad managed to feed me some useful news articles.  And I had a visitor one evening while working at The Hut.

Thumper grabbed my arm and explained in a threatening tone that I had better vote “the right way.”  By which he meant that the 09ers on trial should be convicted – purely because of their zip code and their parents’ tax bracket. 

He made it clear that he was not only willing but capable of taking out someone who stood in his way.  Maybe I was reading too much between the lines, but he seemed to be admitting to killing Felix.  Then, he grinned maniacally and said, “Don’t even think about telling him.  Weevil will never believe you now.”

It wasn’t until after he left that I realized how tight his grip had been.  I knew I would have a wicked bruise where his hand had wrapped around my upper arm.

**~*~*~**

The first day back from break, I was in the school library between two sets of shelves – genuinely doing some research for an assignment.  But I was neither surprised nor displeased when Eli found me there alone.  We hadn’t gotten to see each other much at all during break.  There had been plenty of phone calls, but I was glad to be back at school where I could see him every day.

Like all our public interactions these days, it was intended to look like harassment from a distance, but if we kept our voices low, we could have an actual conversation. 

Everything was fine until I reached up to the top shelf to get the book I needed.  The shirt I was wearing had loose sleeves.  When I raised my arm, the sleeve slid to my shoulder, exposing my upper arm and revealing a hand-shaped bruise.  It had stopped hurting the day before, and I had nearly forgotten it was there. 

“ _Dime.  Ahora_ ,” he growled.

I turned to look at him, confused by his words … until I saw the look in his eyes and where his eyes were focused.  “It’s nothing.”

“That’s not nothing, V.”

He continued to press me for information, backing me up against the wall at the end of the row.  He had me cornered, and he was getting angry.  I tried to walk around him as I explained again that it was no big deal.  He grabbed me and held me against the bookshelves.  His voice was raised, and almost everyone in the library was watching us. 

“I’ll decide what’s important and what isn’t.  And you will answer me.  Right. Fucking. Now.” He barked the words at me as he held me in place. 

He was holding my arms tightly.  So tightly in fact that I yelped in pain and began to cry – because his grip on my bicep was in the same place as the bruise.

Regret flashed through his eyes as he loosened his hold.  “V, please tell me who did this.”

I shook my head as a tear slid down my face.

The librarian and another teacher came over to break things up and escort us to the office.  When Principal Clemmons didn’t get anywhere with his line of questioning, he asked Miss James to give it a try.

“One of you needs to tell me what happened in the library.  And why.” She looked back and forth between us.  Then, her eyes settled on mine. “Some other students said he grabbed your arms and shoved you against the shelves, making you cry.  They said you screamed.”

I began hesitantly with a sideways glance at my supposed ex, “I cried and let out a scream because he grabbed me here.”  I showed her my arm.

“Veronica, are you okay?”  She glared at Eli.

“He didn’t do this.  But he grabbed me right there.  It hurt because of the bruise … not so much because of how he grabbed me.”

“Okay … then who gave you the bruise?”

I shook my head in non-answer.

“Different question: why did Eli grab you and yell at you?”

“He wanted to know who did this to my arm.”

She waited for Eli to confirm this, which he did with a nod.  “Now, I’m really confused.”

After a few minutes of evasive answers, I decided there was a way to give her information that would satisfy her, not get him into trouble, and not wreck our carefully built charade.  “You know that we started dating at the end of last year.  But things got … complicated and we’re not together anymore.  Doesn’t mean we don’t care about one another.  Just that the only way we can talk in public is for him to harass me.”

Miss James was understandably confused.  “I don’t follow, Veronica.”

“His life and my life are very different, but I can’t ask him to change that.  And it’s safer for him and for me if we’re not together.  That’s why I won’t tell him who did this.  I don’t want him to get into trouble.  I’m not protecting that other person.  I’m protecting him.”

He finally spoke up.  “And I want to know who did it so that I can protect her.”

“Veronica, are you in any danger from the person who hurt you?”

“No.”

“That ain’t even close to being true,” he said.

Miss James gave each of us a long look and then wrote out a pass.  She handed it to him and said, “Go on back to class, Eli.  This incident will go in your file as a counseling session.  I’ll handle it with Mr. Clemmons.  Just do me a favor?  Next time you need to ask her a question, either keep your voice down or do it outside of school.”

He looked at me as he got up to take the slip of paper from her hand.  I knew he’d be checking in with me later.

“And, Eli … I think you owe her an apology.”

He stood beside my chair with his back to Miss James.  He stroked my cheek with his knuckles.  “I’m sorry I caused you pain.  You know I’d never mean to do that.”

With tears in my eyes, I said, “I know.”

After he left, Miss James held up a finger indicating that I should ‘wait a minute’ while she dialed the phone.  “Mr. Clemmons, I sent Eli Navarro back to class.  It was a personal matter, a disagreement.  I’ve still got Veronica here.”  She paused as he spoke. “It’s settled now.  I don’t think there’ll be any further problems and I don’t feel that any disciplinary action is necessary.”  After she hung up the phone, she asked, “Does your dad know?”

“Yes.”

“All of it?  The dating?  The breakup?”

“Yes.”

“The bruise on your arm?”

“No.”

“Would you like to talk about it?  You should really tell someone who did it, in case something happens in the future.”

“I can’t.  Not right now.  But if it makes you feel better, I’ll promise to come back and tell you in a few weeks.”

“Why in a few weeks?”

“Because it should be resolved by then.  But I swear … I’ll be fine.”

“If you need help, will you tell someone?  Your dad?  Me?  Another adult?”

Sensing that she wouldn’t let me leave until I agreed, I said, “Yeah. Okay.”

**~*~**

It didn’t take long for the entire student body to know what had occurred in the library.  I was getting strange looks from everyone I passed in the hallway.

At lunch, I could feel Eli staring at me without even looking in his direction.

Later in the day, I got a text from him: _Need to talk._

_Now? Phone?_

_Yes._

I speed dialed the only phone number I ever contacted on this burner phone.

Without greeting or preamble, he dove into the conversation.  “I meant what I said.  I know that meeting with Miss James was mostly for show, but I meant it.  I never want to hurt you.”

“I knew you meant it.”

“I was so upset … I wasn’t thinking about where my hand was when I grabbed you.”

“I know.  It’s fine.  Really.”

“But it’s not.  _Mia_ , I need to know.”

“For this whole farce to work, you can’t go around acting like my protective boyfriend.  And if I tell you, we both know what you’ll do.”

He groaned, knowing I was right, but not liking it one bit.  “Did you mean what you said?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Our lives being different and all that.”  ~~~~

“There’s an element of truth in there.”  I paused before continuing, “There are parts of your life that I don’t like.  But I love you.  Does that answer your question?”

“Enough for now.”  


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains bits of #2.11 “Donut Run” and #2.12 “Wallace and Rashard Go to White Castle.”

That first week back at school had actually been less exhausting than the holiday break had been for me.  Between jury duty (and all that came with it), working at Java the Hut, and not seeing Eli, I was glad when vacation had ended. 

Dad had apparently noticed the difference as well.  The following Saturday morning over breakfast, he reopened the discussion about me getting a P.I. license.  He obviously knew that I was working on Logan’s case for Cliff, as well as being on standby for Eli.

“Honey, I think you were right—”

“Wait! What?! Come again.”

“It is probably time for you to quit your job at Java the Hut.  I talked to your doctor about the fatigue you’re experiencing after long days.  He agreed that a desk job would be preferable to being on your feet for hours.  Besides, you’re doing plenty of walking at school.”

“So … what you’re saying is … I can get my license.  But I’m only allowed to do background checks … and any investigating I can do at school.”

“That about sums it up.  For now, anyway.”

“I’ll take the deal.”

“You should give two weeks’ notice the next time you’re at work.”

“Consider it done.”

**~*~*~**

At lunch on Monday, I was telling Wallace about the fact that I’d be quitting my job at Java the Hut.  He and Jackie exchanged glances.

“What’s up?  Are you planning a surprise party for me?”

Wallace gestured for Jackie to answer me.

“I just put in an application there.  Any chance you can put in a good word for me?”

“Why would you need a job?”

“The truth is …” she began.

I had known there was something she was hiding from the time I laid eyes on her.  Shortly after meeting her, curiosity had gotten the better of me, and I had done a background check on her.  So, I was fairly certain I already knew what she was about to tell me.

She continued, “I am living the lush life here with my father, but back home with Mom … well, the budget is tighter than tight.  I had no spare time to party with the rich and famous.  I was too busy working at Brooklyn Dan’s Diner with Mom … trying to help her make ends meet … which they almost never did.”

Although she had left out one key detail, it took a lot of courage for her to come clean about that much.  I could tell by the look on Wallace’s face that she had already told him what she was now telling me.  For that I was grateful.  I did not want to have to be the one to break his heart and shatter his illusions.  However, if she didn’t tell him the rest of her story soon, I would do what had to be done.

“Did you put your experience on the application? Or …?”

Pulling a face, she admitted, “I didn’t want to put it down … until after I told you.  I didn’t want you to think I had lied to get the job.”

I decided I would do her a favor and help out the manager at the same time.  I felt bad that I was quitting when they already needed to hire one new person.  Two favors, one stone. 

“I’ll try to talk to the manager when I get to work tomorrow.  Give her an explanation as to why you didn’t put down your experience.  Come by about two hours after school lets out – we usually have a lull.  I can’t promise anything, but if she’s willing to talk to you, she should have time then.”

She practically leaped across the lunch table to give me a hug.  “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Veronica!”

Her volume and actions had attracted the attention of most of the people eating lunch.  Glancing over at the PCHers table, I caught Eli looking over at me with his “I’m pretending I don’t care” expression.

**~*~*~**

Wallace and I didn’t see Mac as often these days.  Her plate was not just full, it was overflowing.  School.  Running Neptune Trading Post.  Tutoring Eli.  Freelance web design.  Being Q to my Bond.  Spending time with both her families. 

In addition to all that, she’d been hanging out with Cassidy Casablancas.  Even after she had finished helping him with his FBLA business presentation materials.  When she talked about him, she had a spring in her step, a twinkle in her eye, and a delirious smile on her face.  And she sighed at the mention of his name.  The girl’s got it bad.

Even though we weren’t together as much as we used to be, we checked in with each other a couple times a day.  Until this mess was over, we had to remain vigilant.  Although to watching eyes it might not have looked like there was much activity going on, Mac, Eli, and I – and to a lesser extent, my dad and Wallace – knew otherwise.

**~*~*~**

Later that week, Logan invited me to his suite at the Neptune Grand.  He said he needed to talk, but didn't want to be seen in public. I was hesitant, but if this was related to Felix's death, I wanted to know whatever he knew. 

Standing at the door, I heard voices inside. I knocked and waited for him to answer. 

“Nice of you to drop by,” said Logan as his gestured for me to enter his suite.

As I glanced around the living room, I expected to see luxurious furnishings.  I was not expecting to see Eli. 

Deciding to play this off with humor until I got a read on the situation, I said, "I didn't know you two were a thing. Oh ... you're weren't hoping for a threesome, were you? 'Cause that's gonna be a hard pass from me."

"Look," Logan interrupted my riff, "I knew neither of you would come if I told you what I had planned."  Watching Eli's reaction, he said, "Come on, man. You know we need her help."

"No argument here," Eli said.

"Veronica?" Logan was trying to take my temperature.

Looking at Eli, I asked, "When did the two of you start working together?"

"Remember our fight at school? Since that day."

Shaking my head, I said with a half-smile, "Fake fights and clandestine alliances are becoming your thing."

He smirked. "Yeah. Guess they are."

Logan watched the exchange. "What am I missing here?"

I could have asked the same question.  This would explain the gaps in the recordings.  But why didn’t he want me to know that they were working together?  And what else was he keeping from me?

Eli and I held each other's gaze, trying to decide who would answer Logan’s question and what that answer would be. 

"You trust him?" I finally asked. 

He nodded. 

I stepped toward Eli as I said to Logan, "The breakup was fake."

When I was one step away from him, Eli moved to embrace me. Then, he kissed me.  Deeply.  Neither of us cared that Logan was standing right there.  We were both just happy to be in each other’s arms.

"Gotta say ... I didn't see that coming," Logan said. "Look, I’ve got a guest room. Let’s get down to business. Then, the two of you can move this reunion in there on the nice clean sheets."

Eli shot him a look that seemed to ask: Are you serious about that offer?

Smacking his arm, I asked them both, "What do you need?"

"V, you know I wouldn’t ask this kind of thing unless …”

“Ask already.”

Logan just stood back and watched our exchange.

“We need you to bug the confessional at St. Mary's."

“I will not bug a confessional.  Video maybe, but no sound.”

“How soon can you do it? You got time?"

"As a matter of fact, my social calendar has been pretty empty lately."

He touched the side of my face, as his eyes apologized for something beyond his control.  Just before he began kissing me again, he said, “I’m here now.”

Apparently, the snogging made Logan uncomfortable.  "If you'll excuse me, I’m gonna go down to the restaurant and leave you two to ... well, it looks like you don't need instructions. You seem to know what you're doing."

As he headed for the door, Eli asked, "Hey, man, you got any condoms?"

"You didn't come prepared?" Logan scoffed.

"Thought I was just meeting with you. Didn't think I'd need them."

Logan darted back into his room and returned with a box. "Enjoy yourselves."

When he shut the door, I turned to Eli and asked, "How much time do have?"

"For you?  I'll make time."

Leading him into the guest room, I giggled. There was a club chair in the far corner. I pointed at it and said, "Sit."

He raised his eyebrows but complied with my demand.  

As I knelt before him, waves of emotion and hormones were set loose in my body. The first time I had done this was when we spent the night at the B&B. It was something I never thought I would enjoy, but the look on his face as he watched me made me feel powerful and desirable, loved and trusted.  That feeling was something I couldn't get enough of. 

Moments after he came, he picked me up and tossed me onto the bed, growling, "My turn.  Or rather, your turn."

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the boy could seriously kiss.  The things he could do with his lips and his tongue are unreal.  When he turned those talents loose on the more sensitive areas of my body, I couldn’t be held responsible for my actions or the things I said.

Each time he voiced his enjoyment with an extended “mmm,” I thought I would dissolve into a puddle.  Sensations rocketed through my nervous system, causing me to shudder and tremble. 

After I’d climaxed twice, I grabbed his shoulders, pulling his face to mine.  My hungry eyes bore into his as I said, “Condom.  Now.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

Considering our time apart and our recent quickies, I would have expected our time together to be more urgent, but once he was inside me, he took his time finding just the right pace, hitting just the right spot. 

“I wanna stay right here – inside you, looking into your eyes … all glazed over like that.”

“Mm-hmm.”

He laughed as he said, “Your brain is so fried right now.”

“Mm-hmm.”  I couldn’t argue with what he had said.  Coherent thought was a distant memory at the moment.

After he thrust one last time, he lowered his head to kiss my neck and shoulder.  “Miss you so damn much.”

Agreeing with him, all I could manage was “Mm-hmm.”

He laughed at that.

Finally able to put together a sentence, I said, “You’re pretty proud of yourself right now, aren’t you?”

“Not gonna lie.  I am.”

We showered and put our clothes back on.  When we walked out into the living room, we found that Logan had already returned.

Without looking at us, he said, “You’re gonna want to stagger your exits.  There’s a kid down in the lobby.”

“A kid?”

“If I had to guess, he’s hoping to earn himself a spot in the PCH Bike Club by bringing back juicy info.”

Eli looked at me as I said, “I got this,” as I pulled out my phone.  “Hey there, Candy.  It’s Veronica.  You busy right now?  Where are you? Gotta quick job for you.  Need to get someone out of the Neptune Grand with a bit of misdirection.  Text me when you get to the parking garage, take the stairs at the back entrance to the second floor then grab the elevator to the tenth.  You’re looking for a handsome guy with a shaved head wearing a leather jacket.  Answers to the name of Weevil.  How much to let him walk you out the front door and see you safely to your car?  Very reasonable.  I’ll give him the cash.  Thanks for doing this on short notice.” ~~~~

The two guys were watching me as I put my phone into my pocket.

“Candy should be here in about fifteen minutes. When she texts, you’ll take the stairs down one floor to meet her.”

“And I’m supposed to pretend …”

“That you and she just had a rendezvous.  If the kid tells Thumper and he asks, you tell him you helped some housewife whose car broke down.  And she wanted to thank you for your assistance.”  Seeing the look on his face, I added, “She’s an actress we use for honeypot scenarios.  She’ll hang on your arm as you take the elevator down and walk through the lobby.  Probably give you a kiss at her car.”

“You okay with that?”

“Better than Thumper figuring out that the three of us are working together.”

Pulling some cash out of my bag, I handed it to Eli.  “Give her this before you get on the elevator.  And call me later, if you can.”

“While I’m with Candy, what are you gonna be doing?”

“I’m gonna stay here for a while.”  Seeing Eli look back and forth between the two of us, I gave him my most reassuring look.  “Come here.”  I reached for him.  Pulling him in for a kiss, I did my best to distract him until Candy’s text came through.

Logan sat on the other side of the living room groaning.  “Seriously?!  I’d say, ‘Go get a room,’ but you already did that.”

Once Eli left, I sat down on the couch and tried to get some homework done.  Logan insisted on calling room service to get me something to eat.  By the time I was finished eating, more than an hour had passed.  I packed up my things and prepared to leave.

“So … this thing with you and Weevil … it’s serious.”

“Yes.”

“I mean, you told me that it was, but seeing the two of you together – up close and personal – it’s … obvious that you’re in love with each other.  You weren’t even like this with Duncan.”

Since I didn’t know how to respond to that, I just nodded and smiled as I put my bag on my shoulder.  “I’ll let you know when I have something for you from St. Mary’s.  Probably better if you come to my dad’s office next time I see you.”

“You gonna include Weevil in the meeting?”

“I’ll get the info to him.  I have my ways.”  Between his tutoring sessions with Mac and the email accounts I set up, I could easily get anything to him without raising suspicion.  With my hand on the doorknob, I turned and said, “I’m sure you realize that you shouldn’t tell anyone—”

“That you two didn’t actually break up?  Yeah.  I got that.”

**~*~*~**

It was fairly easy to place a camera in the confessional at St. Mary’s.  It was more difficult to figure out how they worked the exchange.  But I did eventually see it.

Then, I set up a time for Logan to meet me at Dad’s office.  I had emailed the video file to Eli and put him on speaker phone while the three of us talked.  That was not my only meeting today.

As Logan was leaving the building, Mac was on her way in for the next conference call with Eli.  He was about to confront Thumper with everything he knew. 

Over the past year or so, Thumper had repeatedly mentioned that he thought it would be a good idea to have working relationship with the Fitzpatricks.  Not exactly an alliance, but an understanding.  Weevil and Felix obviously did not think that was a good idea.  Thumper clearly thought that he could make that happen if he had enough of the guys on his side and he could get the leaders out of the way.

We didn’t know for certain how many of the PCHers were on his side.  The meeting would either go very well or horribly wrong.  There would be no in between.  We needed to be prepared for anything.

As long as we all came out of this alive, I would consider it a win.

Father Fitzpatrick had quoted the book of Romans to me when I was in the confessional.  It included a phrase about vengeance, but also said something about overcoming evil with good.  That’s certainly what we were trying to do.

Before placing the camera, I had said a prayer asking God to forgive me for what I was about to do.  At this stage of the plan, my prayer was for wisdom and protection.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains bits of #2.12 “Wallace and Rashard Go to White Castle.”

On Friday, Eli called a meeting. Although the PCHers didn't know the purpose of the meeting, he planned to confront them about dealing for the Fitzpatricks – and see what else he could shake loose. I helped him choose the location – the parking lot of a warehouse just outside town – because it allowed several options of places for us to hide while doing surveillance, including a hill overlooking the parking lot.

Mac and Wallace were in one location, handling video and audio. I was in another location, taking still photos. From where I was, I could see everything while remaining well-hidden until such time as I needed to swoop down and rescue him. But I really hoped it wouldn't come to that.

It didn't take long at all for the meeting to go south. Thumper had apparently persuaded nearly all of the others to do business his way. There were a few who looked like they were waiting to see who came out on top before they expressed their loyalty to either Weevil or Thumper.

Sitting there, listening to the audio and watching through the lens of my camera as they beat Weevil was one of the most difficult things I have ever experienced. I felt like it would kill me. But he had given me explicit instructions. I was not to intervene until after Thumper confessed. No matter how ugly things got.

They had tied his hands together, and he was hanging from a hook while they took turns beating him. When they were through, they removed him from the hook and threw him to the ground. When the other guys had gone to dump Eli's motorcycle into the ocean, Thumper and Eli were left there alone.

Thumper went on an angry rant while he repeatedly kicked Eli. He admitted to many things, including killing Felix. He let out a maniacal laugh as he opened his phone and played a video from the night they took Logan. Thumper did a bit of narration since Eli didn't lift his head to watch. It must have been recorded before they began the questioning. Apparently, Logan was still out cold, and they hadn't bothered to put their masks on yet. From what Thumper said, the video clearly showed Eli's face, and he was the only one who could be seen holding a gun.

Then, Thumper threatened Eli, saying that he better not tell anyone what he knew or else the video would surface. Just to drive his point home, Thumper began to stomp on Eli's crumpled form again.

That's when I gave Mac the signal. With some assistance from a friend, we had the ability to control the alarm of the warehouse. With the touch of a button, Mac set it off. The noise was enough to get Thumper's attention. He immediately walked away from Eli, got on his bike, and rode away.

Once his taillight was no longer visible, Mac turned off the alarm. And I hurried down to Eli's side.

First, I would take care of my boyfriend. Then, we would take care of Thumper.

**~*~**

One of the things Thumper had admitted to was killing Curly Moran. He had assumed that the information in the anonymous call had been good – that the Fitzpatricks had wanted Cervando dead. Thumper must have wanted to work with them so badly that he was willing to overlook the fact that they would kill one of his PCH brothers. His only thought was how to gain favor with them. So, he made sure that Curly was silenced, thinking he was helping them cover their tracks. The subtext of his statement seemed to say that he found out at some point that the Fitzpatricks did not hire Curly or anyone else to take out Cervando.

**~*~**

Although I would have preferred to take Eli to the nearest ER, he talked me into going to a nearby town where they were less likely to assume gang violence and involve the authorities. I called Letty from the waiting room and let her know that he was going to be staying at my apartment this weekend. She seemed surprised but also glad that we were "back together."

The hospital staff took turns attending to his injuries. Mostly, cleaning wounds and putting on bandages. A few cuts required stitches. Although they did not think anything was broken, they still sent him to radiology.

After the doctor looked at the X-rays, he was happy to report that there did not appear to be any broken bones or internal injuries. He gave us a list of things to look for, in case any problems came up later. Eli had been punched in the head and torso repeatedly and kicked in the back more than a few times, but he seemed to have walked away with only cuts and bruises.

The doctor warned Eli that he would be in pain for a while and recommended alternating doses of ibuprofen and acetaminophen. "If the pain gets worse or doesn't start to lessen in a week, either go to your family doctor or come back here and I'll write you a prescription for something stronger. But you seem to be handling it pretty well, so I don't want to start you off on the heavy-duty painkillers."

He was exactly the kind of doctor I liked – gets right to the point, answers all your questions, doesn't do unnecessary treatment or prescribe drugs that aren't needed. He took his oath to "do no harm" seriously. As professionals in any field should.

I texted Mac and Wallace to give them an update as Eli was getting dressed. As soon as he signed the discharge papers, we were back on the road, headed toward my home.

When we pulled into the parking lot, I saw a familiar car. The door opened, and a figure started to move toward my LeBaron.

"V, what's he doing here?"

"Doing me a favor." Getting out of the car, I walked toward Leo. "Thanks for coming. See anything I should know about?"

"No. Only people coming and going were a few neighbors who were out late enjoying the start of their weekend. But I'll walk you guys up, just in case. How is he?" Leo asked.

"Gonna be sore for a while, but considering the options …"

"He's out … I assume."

By now, Eli was getting out of the car, apparently more than a little curious why Leo was here.

"Yeah, I'm out." He walked over and wrapped an arm around me as he placed a kiss at my temple. All the while, he kept an eye on Leo.

Leo gave a subtle nod, indicating that he had gotten Eli's message. Loud and clear.

Eli leaned on me as we climbed the stairs. Leo carried our stuff up to the apartment.

When we entered, he had us stay near the front door while he checked all the rooms. He returned to the living room, giving us the "all clear."

I thanked him again for all his help during this. Eli knew about using his rehearsal space – and obviously about Leo being here now – but there were a few other key things that Leo had helped coordinate. His assistance had been invaluable, especially now that he was no longer with the Sheriff's Department and was working for a private security company. I had decided that it would be easier if Eli didn't know at the time. As I locked the door behind Leo, it was clear from Eli's expression that he wanted an explanation. And I would give him one. After he had gotten some sleep.

Eli got settled on my bed while I got him a glass of water and a bottle of acetaminophen from the medicine cabinet.

When he put his head down on my pillow, he closed his eyes and inhaled. "Mmm. Damn, I've missed you."

"Get some rest," I said as I pulled the covers up over him. "I've got a few things to take care of and then, I'll join you."

"When does your Dad get back?"

"Sunday night. Maybe not 'til Monday."

"He's not gonna care that I'm here? In your bed?"

"Shh. Go to sleep."

I was a little less concerned with how he'd react to Eli being in my bedroom than how he would react to the reason why he was in our apartment at all. Dad was gonna be pissed that we carried out this operation without him. It was my sincere hope that he couldn't argue with the result. We got the information and leverage we needed. And Eli was out. More importantly, he was alive.

For about an hour, Mac and I chatted by phone about the night's events while we stored backup copies of everything in multiple places, including both of our .mac accounts. Wallace was already safely home in bed before Eli, and I left the ER, but Mac had stayed up to edit and clean up audio and video files. She had everything labeled and organized by the time I had called her.

"So … he's sleeping in your bed? Right now? While you're on the phone with me? Whyyyyy are you on the phone with me?"

"Because he's in no condition to do anything except sleep."

She giggled. I assumed she was thinking about Cassidy, so I directed the conversation there. She ended up asking for relationship advice. I'm not sure how much help I was, but I tried to assure her that she didn't need to worry so much.

As we discussed the options of what happened next, Mac commented that "Veronica & Company were not to be trifled with." I had to agree. I had kickass friends. My circle was small but mighty.

After we ended our call, I changed into a tank top and pajama pants, brushed my teeth, and climbed into bed. Eli must not have been sleeping very soundly, because my mere presence in the bed caused him to wrap his arm around me and pull my back to his chest.

" _Mia_ , how the hell have I survived without you all this time?"

"It hasn't been that long."

"I meant my life before we got together. And I have no idea what I'd do if I lost you."

Turning to face him, I said, "Let's not find out."

After that, slow kisses turned into needy groping but didn't progress much past PG-rated making out. He was trying to hide it, but I felt him tense up or flinch when he was in pain.

Eventually, we went to sleep. We hadn't bothered to set an alarm.

**~*~*~**

It was past noon when I woke up. At first, I thought I was dreaming. It took a few minutes for me to realize that the lips on my skin were real.

We spent the day alternating between the bed and the couch, sometimes watching tv and occasionally eating.

At some point during the evening, he asked me to make him a copy of recordings from the night before, as well as the surveillance video from confessional.

When I asked why, he replied, "Better you don't know. But it won't come back on you. I promise."

**~*~*~**

On Sunday evening, we took a walk on Dog Beach with Backup. We watched the sun set over the Pacific. He sat behind me with his arms encircling me, his legs on either side of mine. I was completely surrounded by him. I had never felt so safe. I wasn't sure why, but tears began to form in my eyes. Before I could process why, they were already streaming down my face.

As he whispered words of comfort into my ear, sensations and images started to flash through my mind. I didn't try to make sense of them. I just let them swirl around until they settled into a coherent memory. A memory of us sitting on Dog Beach after we left Club Mojo that night last spring.

So much had happened since then. But we were together. Still together. And stronger for what we'd been through, what we'd come through.

We had survived the worst that Neptune could throw at us. At least, I hoped that was the worst we'd have to deal with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna try to get one more chapter to you before the end of summer, then this fic will be on hiatus for a couple months while I work on other things. 
> 
> The last chapters of this fic are outlined and will hopefully be posted between late fall and early winter.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter primarily corresponds to #2.13 "Ain't No Magic Mountain High Enough" and #2.14 "Versatile Toppings," but since I've shifted some of the timeline and shuffled the order of events, there are bits of other episodes here (including #2.3 "Cheatty Cheatty Bang Bang" and #2.17 "Plan B").
> 
> Events occur between mid-January and mid-March 2006 of the Season 2 timeline.

 

When Eli and I got back from the beach, I saw Dad's car in the parking lot. So did Backup. I was in no mood to be dragged up the stairs by an overly happy puppy. So I asked Eli to handle the leash on the way up to the apartment.

Once we were inside and Dad had a chance to properly greet Backup, he gave me a look that said he wanted to have a chat – or rather a father-daughter discussion.

Finally, I said, "Something you want to say, Dad?"

"As a matter of fact, there is."

Eli watched the exchange and then asked, "Would you like me to leave so you two can talk?"

"No," my father said. "You should stay."

Well, that sounded ominous.

Dad poured iced tea into three glasses and then indicated that we should sit down in the living room for this chat, which was beginning to look more like a serious meeting. Hopefully, it wouldn't turn into a patented Mars interrogation.

Eli and I sat next to each other on the couch. Dad took the chair.

"Got home a while ago. By the look of things, Eli's been staying here while I've been away."

Neither of us responded to his comment. We waited to see where he was headed with this.

"I gave Letty a call because I wasn't sure if she knew where he was – since you had let her believe the breakup was real. Apparently, she did know you were here. She didn't seem too concerned that he had spent the past couple nights here. I didn't want to assume that him sleeping here meant that you two had … slept together. But she mentioned that this was not the first weekend you had spent together. Something about going to your cousin's bed and breakfast after the Homecoming dance." He paused while studying the ice melting in his glass. "This is your opportunity to come clean … before I have to ask the question."

Before speaking, Eli took my hand, cleared his throat, and waited for my father to look up so he could look him in the eye. "If you're asking if I've had sex with your daughter, the answer is yes. And yes, we did spend a night at the B&B the weekend of Homecoming. But this is the first time I have stayed here … without you knowing about it. There was that night after Aaron Echolls was arrested."

"Are you—"

"Being careful?" Eli interrupted my dad's thought.

Clearly making an effort to keep his tone and facial expression calm, Dad said, "I assumed that you would be. No, I was going to ask if you're in love with my daughter."

Without hesitation, Eli replied, "Yes, sir. I am."

I watched the two of them study one another for a moment. Then, Dad spoke.

"I just ask …" My father's voice trailed off. Beginning again, he said, "Don't hurt her. And no sneaking around. Hurt her or lie to me … and we will have a problem."

"Understood, Sheriff."

It seemed that the conversation was over because my dad got up from the chair.

"Dad, we should tell you what happened this weekend."

Without turning around, he said, "Honey, I really don't want a play-by-play."

"Not what I intended. Besides, although we did sleep together – slept next to one another – we did not have sex this weekend. Nothing to tell. About that anyway."

Sitting back down, he glanced at Eli's face, seeming to notice the cuts and bruises for the first time. "Alright. You got my attention. I'm listening."

We filled him in on Friday's meeting and the result.

Eli was out. We had recorded Thumper's confession. We were officially "back together."

"I think you know you should have waited until I was here to help you. Or talk you out of it." Dad paused before continuing to address Eli. "I think you also know that you're lucky to be alive."

As Eli nodded, I responded, "Even the ER doc said that he was lucky the injuries weren't worse. Obviously, we didn't say exactly how he got the injuries."

After that, the three of us went down to the parking lot so Eli could show Dad his new wheels.

Neptune Trading Post had been bringing in a steady stream of income for both Mac and Eli. Neither of their names was publicly available, and their business venture had continued uninterrupted during these past months. His income had been automatically deposited into his bank account. He spent a sizable chunk of his earnings on a 1966 Ford Mustang that needed a significant amount of work.

Eli rebuilt the engine and did some other work on it, but with everything going on, he didn't have much in the way of free time. So he paid an uncle who lived near Bri and Ben to finish the restoration. His uncle had done a beautiful job on the bodywork and paint job. It was ready a couple weeks ago and had been in storage up there, out of sight.

As my dad looked over the classic car, Eli explained that there was still some tweaking that he wanted to do himself. After he listed off all the parts that had been replaced, my dad gave him a scrutinizing look.

"Yes, all legal," Eli said.

"Do I get to test drive it?" my dad asked.

I watched as my boyfriend handed my father the keys. As Dad walked around to the driver's side, he commented on the personalized license plate: 2SAM570.

"When I started working at Angel's shop, he gave me one of his old tool boxes – a SAM-570," Eli explained.

Patting him on the back, Dad said, "It's perfect … for you and the car you bought with money you earned." As we climbed into the car, Dad asked, "You plan on replacing your motorcycle?"

"At some point. Not in a hurry. Any money I make from here on out is for starting my business after graduation."

Dad started the car and pulled out onto the road. There was a long stretch of silence before he spoke.

"While I can't condone some of what you've done over the years … you've definitely put a lot of effort into changing the direction of your life. That would be obvious to anyone who's paying attention. Your efforts are paying off. And I'm proud of you."

From the backseat, I watched as Eli reacted to my father's words. He had been staring out the front of the car as Dad spoke. After Dad finished, he turned to look out the passenger side window for a moment before responding. He was so choked up he could barely get out the words: "Thank you."

**~*~*~**

On Monday morning, Eli picked me up at my apartment. Our arrival at school – together and in his new car – did not go unnoticed.

After he parked the Mustang, he walked around to open my door. Although he didn't need to, he took my hand to help me out of the car. First, he kissed the back of my hand. Then, after closing the car door, he pressed me up against the car and gave me a slow, tender kiss. On our way into the building, he held my hand and carried my books.

His actions were more effective than renting a billboard. News of our reconciliation spread like wildfire. As did the news that the PCHers had a new leader.

**~*~**

A few times during the day, PCHers got in his face. He didn't back down from them – not even Thumper. He made a point of telling the other guys that they had made their choice and that he hoped they could live with it –  _live_  being the operative word. They may have kicked Eli out, but they were still his boys and he was concerned for their welfare – especially now that they were in business with the Fitzpatricks.

When Thumper implied that he was going to do damage to the newly restored Mustang, Eli calmly said, "You should rethink that. You only think you know what I'm capable of. Push me … and you won't even see the payback comin'."

**~*~**

Just before lunch, I dropped by to talk to Miss James. I finally told her what had been going on – well, most of what had been going on – and asked her not to tell anyone that the breakup was fake.

"The bruise on your arm … that was Thumper?"

"Yes."

"Are you in any danger?"

"No more than any other day. Eli and Dad both know everything. And I'm being a little more cautious than normal."

"Will Mac still be tutoring Eli during his study hall?"

"I think they're still deciding. It seems to be working out. If it ain't broke—"

"Don't fix it. Alright. Well, my door's always open."

"Thank you, Miss James."

**~*~**

Having convinced my newly-ex-gang-member boyfriend to handle the situation within the bounds of the law – okay …  _near_  the bounds of the law – Eli and I made an afterschool visit to Sheriff Lamb. We played the recording of Thumper's confession. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that the power-hungry asshat refused to do anything with it. Perhaps, I should have served it to him on a silver platter.

During the drive home, I could see Eli's mental gears turning. I cautioned him about going after Thumper on his own. He told me I had nothing to worry about. That did not alleviate my concern.

Felix was his best friend; Lilly had been mine. When your best friend is murdered, it does something to you. You would do just about anything to make sure that the person responsible got what they deserved. I wanted to believe that Eli could keep his emotions from controlling his actions. However, I figured that Eli would agree to do things "by the book" for only so long before aggravation would overtake him. Then, he would feel forced to handle it "by any means necessary."

I really hoped we could find another solution before he did something he couldn't take back. Something he might regret. Something he couldn't undo. Something for which he would be held legally responsible. Something that could change the course of his life.

Maybe, I'd rather not know.

Did I really just think that?

**~*~*~**

While Eli was concerned about making the grades he needed for graduation, I was concerned about the other students who were in contention for the Kane Scholarship. Although Mac was brilliant, she didn't obsess about her GPA. I'm not sure what her class rank was, but she was far enough down the list that I did not view her as competition. I'm also not sure how she had planned to pay for college, but now she had no need to worry about that.

Back at Christmas, the Sinclairs had been generous – one might say overly generous – with their gifts to Mac. In addition to clothing and gadgets, they took her along on their family ski trip to Europe. She had come back with beautiful pictures of the Chamonix Valley, as well as a day they spent in Geneva.

She and the Sinclairs had bonded even further during the vacation. A few weeks into the new year, they began asking her lots of questions about her plans for college and if she expected to get much in the way of scholarship money. Not long after that, they told her not to worry about the cost, that she should just decide what school she wanted to attend and they would cover everything. Mac would receive the savings that had been intended to pay for Madison to go to college.

But that wasn't the half of it. Apparently, the Sinclairs had met with their attorney and then with the Mackenzies.

"Veronica, it's crazy. They added me to the will. And I now have a trust fund," Mac said in disbelief. "How did this become my life?"

"When Mrs. Sinclair gave birth to you?"

"Well, yes. But no. If Madison were still alive, she would be in their will. She would be the one with the trust fund. They would be paying for her to go to college."

"Yes, it is tragic that our classmates died on that bus, but you should no more feel guilty about your relationship with your birth parents and their decision to make you their beneficiary than I should feel guilty for surviving the crash."

"I know you're right, but it's still hard to wrap my head around. I mean, they said I can have access to some of the money immediately. Then, the rest when I turn twenty-one. What in the world am I going to do with that kind of money? I make more than enough through the Trading Post to pay for anything I need – plus more than a few of the things I want."

"You don't have to do anything with the money right now. You could just let it sit. Or you could invest it."

"It's one thing to make decisions about investments in FBLA. It's another thing entirely when it's real money in the real world."

"Yeah. But it could also be more fun. Think of all the good you could do."

**~*~*~**

My dad was a huge fan of Terrence Cook and obviously would welcome any opportunity to spend time with him. But I'm certain that he would have preferred that it happen under different circumstances. Terrence showed up at the office asking for a consultation after he was questioned by the Sheriff, who had received an anonymous call pointing Lamb toward Cook as a suspect in the bus crash investigation. During their meeting, he told Dad that Ms. Dumass overheard some things when a couple of the Fitzpatricks showed up at his house to collect the money he owed to Leonard Lobo. That certainly provided the Sheriff with a more likely motive than Cook's support of Woody Goodman's plan for incorporation.

As they continued to talk over a couple of beers, Cook added that Ms. Dumass approached him one day at Shark Stadium and threatened him with the info she had. Woody overheard the conversation and called him into his office and offered to make Terrence's problem go away, saying that he considered it an investment.

"I assumed he meant that he would pay off my debt. Maybe bribe her to keep quiet."

"Do you think Woody would cause the bus crash just to silence her?"

"I want to say no, but I don't know him well enough to know what he's capable of."

Dad did take his case, but only after Terrence came clean about everything. I did some work on it too, including trying to establish where he was at 7:03 pm, the time of the crash. His phone records showed a call to Crazy Hank, who details his car. That's how he realized that he must have been at Seven Rivers Casino.

Proving his innocence was not going to be a simple task. He had a seemingly endless stash of skeletons in his closet.

**~*~*~**

There were many annual events at Neptune High that I could live without. My loathing of such things had only increased during Senior Year. Winter Carnival was no exception.

Duncan got to miss it because Meg had given birth to their baby girl, Lilly Manning Kane. I was happy for them. And a little jealous that they had a valid excuse to avoid the Carnival.

Wallace and Jackie were trying to enjoy the day together, but people kept hassling her about her dad. At first, Wallace seemed to like playing defender, but after a few hours, it got old. And he got frustrated.

Mac and Cassidy were walking around hand-in-hand, giving the outward appearance of a happy couple. However, I knew that Cassidy was on the verge of a meltdown over what had happened with his dad, not to mention that things were a bit tense between him and Mac because she thought they should take their physical relationship to the next level. Cassidy's awkwardness did not go unnoticed by his older brother Dick, who took great pleasure in harassing him.

That was not the only harassment going on. Before I took my turn in the slushie booth, I was keeping an eye on Eli's six-year-old niece Ophelia until he got finished with work. While we were walking around, Thumper decided to take the opportunity to mess with her, grabbing her balloon and knocking her over. Then, he got in my face and threatened me – which I'm betting he would not have done if Eli was there beside me.

Then, the day got really interesting. A group of streakers ran through the midway of the Carnival about the same time that the cash box went missing.

I had to run down a few false leads before solving the mystery. But solve it, I did. The best part was gathering the suspects into one room – Agatha Christie style – in order to get to the bottom of it.

Part of the cash and a bag of ephedrine was found in Thumper's shop locker. The remaining money was stashed in Miss Hauser's classroom. She had been skimming off the top before the cash box went missing.

I'm not sure what Clemmons was going to do about his greedy health teacher, but Thumper was arrested. I heard that a lawyer known to represent the Fitzpatricks got him released almost immediately.

**~*~*~**

It took me until the morning after Winter Carnival to fit all the pieces together. I was more impressed than upset.

"So how did you do it?" I turned to ask Eli as he drove us to school.

After he explained the Thomas Crown tactics he had employed to accomplish the feat, he told me, "When I was planting the stuff, I looked in a few of their lockers to see what I might find."

He went quiet for a moment, so I prompted him, "What did you find?"

"Something interesting." He went on to explain about the paddle and what was on it.

"Assuming you're right and we run the license plates, what do you plan to do with the information?"

"Nothing for right now. But in the future, it could provide some serious leverage."

By then, we were almost at school. He remained silent until he pulled into a parking space. Turning toward me, he took my hand and peppered it with kisses. "Is it your undying love for me or just good old-fashioned lust that kept you from turning me in?"

"No reason it can't be both."

**~*~**

That day after school, we made a stop at the office to research the letters and numbers that had been so painstakingly burned into the wooden paddle that Eli found. While I was working at my desk, he began rubbing my shoulders and then placed kisses up and down my neck. With his lips near my ear, he asked, "Any idea when your dad will be out of town? Do we need to plan a trip to see Bri and Ben?"

"Mmm. Definitely, need some alone time."

On the way home that evening, he stopped in a secluded spot. We hadn't had much time to be together like this since we "got back together." So what started out as kissing and caressing quickly escalated to impassioned groping.

With his lips and tongue attending to my most tender areas of skin, I managed to say, "You should either take me home or … mmm … what was it you said to me that day at Rest Stop 15? Something about not starting something you don't plan on finishing."

His voice was deep and rough as he said, "I would be happy to christen the backseat of my new car."

I bit my bottom lip before saying in my Betty voice, "I would be happy to participate in celebrating this beautifully restored vehicle."

"Damn, woman. Like you're not already hot enough … then things like that come out of your mouth." His eyes studied my face and then continued, "Last chance. Tell me now. Am I taking you home or …?"

Rather than a verbal answer, I pulled him in for a kiss before he could finish his question.

An hour (and two orgasms) later, his windows were thoroughly steamed and I was thoroughly sated. He seemed ready for another round, but unfortunately, it was getting late and I needed to get home.

**~*~*~**

At the beginning of the school year, "normal" was my watchword. Definitely gonna need a new watchword.

Although the past six months had been anything but normal, things were beginning to return to whatever word you would use to describe last summer – that peaceful time between Aaron's arrest and the bus crash. Who would have thought that I would refer to any period of time in Neptune as peaceful? And yet it had been. By comparison, at least.

My favorite things about those months had been spending whatever free time I had with Eli, hanging out with Mac and Wallace without planning espionage, Dad and I sharing "family fun nights" with the Fennels, and of course, the weekly dinners with the extended Navarro family. I had grown to love his family. I had missed them terribly during the fake breakup.

Now that we were back together and he was no longer a PCHer, I had begun to attend those family dinners and backyard parties again. Although I think some people suspected that our breakup had not been real, we maintained the story that we had broken up a week after Felix was killed. His family seemed happy to believe our telling of events – that Eli had been angry after Felix's death and took it out on me, that I had turned to other friends for support and comfort, that misunderstandings led to an argument that resulted in us breaking up. Oddly, very few of them seemed to have a problem with me. They accepted Eli's word that although he had been jealous seeing me spend time with Wallace, Duncan, and Logan, I had not cheated on him. So, Eli's family was actually upset with him for how he had acted toward me.

The first few times I was there, I could feel everyone watching us – mostly watching how he treated me. I noticed older women nod approvingly when he did things like pull out my chair, open a door, or place his hand on my lower back. The older men smiled when Eli would pull me into his lap or I brought him a drink when I went to get one for myself. The young adults in the family seemed most interested when we were dancing together or playing a game with the kids.

A few of the older women commented to me that I was good for him, that they liked the change they saw in him. I told them that they should give credit where credit was due. After all, Eli had made the changes himself.

**~*~*~**

The weekend before Valentine's Day, Dad had arranged a romantic getaway for him and Alicia. She asked me to stay at the house to help Wallace with his brother Darrell. But I think it was really her way of making sure he and Jackie were not alone at the house while she was away. As a bonus, Dad could be assured that I wouldn't be spending the weekend alone with Eli.

The following Saturday, the four of us – Wallace, Jackie, Eli, and I – went to Bri and Ben's for the day. We spent the afternoon on the beach and then changed clothes to have dinner in the dining room. It was better than going to an expensive restaurant. The food was amazing, and we had the dining room to ourselves – two tables for two on opposite sides of the room.

During the drive back, Wallace and Jackie could barely keep their hands off one another in the backseat. After dropping them off at their houses, Eli drove to my apartment building.

Before walking me to my door, we sat on the patio overlooking the ocean. The moment felt peaceful. The cynic in me would say it was the calm before the storm.

The next few months were going to be crazy busy. Maintaining my GPA to get the Kane scholarship. Choosing which college I would attend. Eli making plans to open his own shop. The traditional Senior Year events like Prom. And I was certain there would be more than a few cases along the way.

**~*~*~**

In late February, I got my P.I. license – scoring almost as high on the test as my dad had. Over the next few weeks, I handled cases for some of my classmates and helped out the Sheriff's Department by solving a couple crimes. It made me wonder what it would be like to live in a town where law enforcement officials actually did their job.

Ryan hired me to find out who was blackmailing gay students at Neptune High. He had been one of the victims of the "pizza boy mugger" and thought that the names of the gay students had gotten out because he had a list in his wallet at the time he was mugged.

With a little help from Carmen and Corny, I caught Arturo in the act, got his confession on tape, and delivered him to Deputy Sacks. The thing is … solving that did not solve the blackmail case.

It turns out that the blackmailer was Kylie, one of the gay students. It was her way of raising money to get out of Neptune. Why not just get a job like the rest of us?

**~*~**

Cassidy hired me to tail Kendall, his stepmom. He suspected that she was having an affair and hoped I would catch her violating her prenuptial agreement.

Once again, I solved two for the price of one. I not only caught her cheating – with Logan of all people – but I also found evidence that Richard Casablancas was guilty of real state fraud.

Although Cassidy paid me for my services, I don't know how happy he was with the result. Essentially, I blew up his family and his father's business. The day after I showed Cassidy the surveillance photos, I heard a rumor that his father fled the country. Guess I'll stop braiding that friendship bracelet.

**~*~**

Dad was still investigating the bus crash and working on clearing Terrence's name. At times the evidence seemed to point toward him, but neither Dad nor I believed that he would blow up a bus full of kids.

**~*~*~**

Although life had been insane for the past several months, the debris was beginning to settle, the many scattered pieces were falling back into place. My TBI symptoms were among the things that were resolving. School did not cause as much mental and physical fatigue as it had immediately after the bus crash. My doctors were happy with the progress … which made me happy.

My body was healing after the trauma of the accident.

My heart was mending after the loss of another friend.

My soul was rejoicing after Eli and I had weathered yet another Neptune storm.

In the stillness of this present moment, I realized that for months now I had been holding my breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. It looked like clear skies and smooth sailing ahead. For the immediate future anyway.

I would gladly take what I could get. For as long as it lasted.

 


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains bits of #2.16 “The Rapes of Graff,” #2.17 “Plan B,” #2.18 “I Am God,” #2.19 “Nevermind the Buttocks,” and #2.20 “Look Who’s Stalking.”
> 
> Events occur between mid-March and the end of April 2006 of the Season 2 timeline.

Lamb must have taken note of the confession I had played him. Then, he apparently swerved into logical thought … because he decided to do DNA analysis on the cup that Thumper used in the interrogation room when he was arrested for the cash and ephedrine found in his shop locker.  It matched DNA on the knife that stabbed Felix.  It had been Felix’s knife and was found in Logan’s hand, so one would expect to find their DNA.  But how likely would it be that Thumper’s would be there?  The only full prints on knife handle belonged to Logan.  The lab report said that the knife had been wiped on fabric, smearing Felix’s blood.  Logan’s prints were on top of the smeared blood.  

One little detail that was overlooked until after Thumper’s release: at least one of the partial prints belonged to him.

Once those facts were pointed out to Lamb, a warrant was put out for Thumper’s arrest.  Too little, too late.  By then, he had disappeared.  Nobody had seen him since he left the Sheriff’s Department with the Fitzpatrick’s lawyer.

**~*~*~**

Logan had much to rejoice about.  When Cliff found out about the new evidence against Thumper, he was able to get Logan’s case dismissed.  On top of that, Logan had handed in the winning essay on the topic of “Freedom” which earned him a week in Mayor Goodman’s office as “Honorary Deputy Mayor.” 

He was sorting mail when Dad dropped by for a meeting with Woody.  Mixed in with pro-incorporation and anti-incorporation letters from constituents, Logan found a DVD with video footage of Woody’s family taken from inside his house.

When Dad got home, he was telling me about it as Eli was packing up his books from our study session. Eli mentioned that Father Patrick Fitzpatrick was vocally anti-incorporation.  I wondered aloud if the whole family felt that way.  After all the time we had spent investigating what Thumper was into, our minds made a quick leap to the Fitzpatricks.

As he nodded at our comments, Dad added, “There are many people who are against incorporation.  The video could’ve been sent by a political enemy, but this feels personal.”

I had to agree.

**~*~*~**

This year, FBLA had the privilege of running the Sadie Hawkins dance – a.k.a. Spring Fling ’06.  It was a good fundraiser for whichever student organization was lucky enough to win the school event lottery.

For most of that Friday evening, I was near the entrance taking keepsake pictures of couples for $5 each.  I watched as friends and classmates took to the dance floor two-by-two, including Mac with Cassidy and Wallace with Jackie.

Toward the end of the dance, I noticed that I had gotten a text from Eli saying that he was sorry he was running late, that work had taken longer than he expected.  I replied that it was fine, adding that I knew school dances weren’t really his thing.

Not long after I hit send, I felt a tap on my shoulder.  I turned around to find him standing there – freshly showered, wearing a dress shirt and slacks, and holding out a single red rose.

“Am I too late for a dance, Mia?  You did ask me ...”

I handed my camera to Logan and led Eli to the dance floor.

“I understand that there are more important things going on in your life right now than silly school events.  You didn’t have to—"

He put a finger to my lips and said, “Now that I can hold you and kiss you in public again, you think I’d miss an opportunity?”

My hands moved to the back of his head and neck.  His eyes locked onto mine.  And everything in the room – the whole world – dropped away.  It felt like it was just the two of us.

I could tell by his crooked smile that he was planning what he would do to me when he got me alone.  Whatever those plans were, the look in his eyes made me shiver.

**~*~*~**

That Saturday, Logan got to carry out his final duty as Honorary Deputy Mayor: pushing down the plunger at the ceremonial demolition of “old Shark Stadium.”

The ceremony was delayed by about 20 minutes.  We didn’t find out until the next day that it was because they found a motorcycle chained up in the lower level when the crew did one last walk through.  As information made its way from the Shark organization to the Sheriff’s Department and eventually to the local news, we found out that the motorcycle belonged to Thumper, who had gone missing before the demolition.  Although no witnesses had come forward yet, reporters and law enforcement seemed hopeful that someone would provide the missing pieces of this puzzle.

I did not want to come right out and ask Eli what he might know about it.  I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.  He must have sensed that I was avoiding the question.

“V, just so you know, I did not chain his bike under the stadium and I don’t know where he went when he disappeared.”

In a way, I was relieved to hear him say those words, but he had chosen them carefully.  It made me wonder what he wasn’t saying.

**~*~*~**

Senior year was flying by in a flurry of events and deadlines, many of them college-related.  I had been convinced for a long time that college was my opportunity to get out of Neptune.  But those around me were not so easily convinced.

Not only did Wallace and Mac pester me about the three-day campus visit at Hearst College, but I got a personal letter and a follow-up phone call from the women’s studies professor who had been on the jury with me back at Christmas.  Finally, I caved and registered for the visit.

When we first arrived, we were split into groups.  Our guide was just starting the first ice-breaker when a familiar face joined our group: Troy Vandegraff.

It was awkward enough being forced to be social with an ex-boyfriend during the day, but watching him hit on another girl at the party that night took it up – or rather, down – a notch.  But that was nothing compared to getting a phone call from him the next morning. 

He had been arrested for raping the girl I saw him groping the night before.  Not sure why he thought I would help him, but I went to the Sheriff’s Department to hear him out.  The desperation in his eyes and the pleading tone of his voice reminded me of Logan when he was in trouble for something he didn’t do.  God help me, I actually believed Troy when he said he had not raped the girl.

Although I was not able to solve the rape case, I was able to prove that Troy did not do it.  In the process, I took down a fraternity by providing information to the Dean of Student Affairs.

Before leaving campus, I dropped by to see the women’s studies professor who had insisted that I visit Hearst.  I told her that I’d already made some enemies on campus, mentioning the photo of the scoreboard in the fraternity basement.

“That was you?!” she exclaimed.  It seemed that I had impressed her again.  She added, “Now, I’m sure we need you at Hearst.”

It should come as no surprise that I wasn’t quite as convinced as she was.

**~*~*~**

During the campus visit, Mac met a guy she couldn't stop thinking about.  At some point the next week, she babbled to me about how easy things had felt with him.  It was clear she was beginning to wonder about her relationship with Cassidy.  But she wasn’t ready to end it just yet.

When she pointedly asked for my advice, I told her to give Cassidy a chance and go easy on him for a while.  I didn’t give her specifics, but since he had mentioned to her that I was doing some surveillance for him before his dad fled the country, I simply hinted to her that the secrets I had uncovered caused a domino effect in his family.  For emphasis, I added that he was dealing with a lot right now.

**~*~*~**

After being at Hearst, Wallace couldn’t shut up about college.  He had met with the basketball coach and hung out with the team. The school year wasn’t over yet, but he had mentally checked out and moved on.  Hearst was all he could talk about.

The more he talked about future plans – even just making plans for prom – the tension between him and Jackie increased.  I knew it was only a matter of time before something had to give.

About a week later, I was hanging out at the Fennel’s house when Jackie dropped by.  She seemed like she needed to talk to Wallace about something serious.  I was fairly certain that I knew what it was.  I told her I could leave if she wanted me to, but she insisted that I stay.  I excused myself to the kitchen, trying to give them a little privacy, but I could still hear their conversation.

Jackie had finally decided to come clean.  Completely.

She began, “I can’t stay out here for college.”  She went on to explain that she had left out one detail when she had told him that she did not live the glamorous life.  That detail was: she had a kid.  “I need to go home and raise my son.  Probably do school part-time.  Dad said he’d pay tuition and child care while I’m in class, but I still have to earn everything else.  Mom seems okay with that.  It’s the compromise between me being a responsible adult and my father finally stepping up to do something after too many years of pushing me out of his life.”

Wallace was doing an admirable job of not freaking out over the news, but he was scrambling to find a way to keep her in his life. “Can’t you and your son move here?”

“He is really attached to my mom. His friends and extended family are there.  Maybe when I finish school … I could move away for a good job, start a new life.  But right now, he and I both need my mom.  You can understand that, can’t you?”

“Yeah.  I can.”

After Jackie left, I went back into the living room.  I sat down next to my BFF and said, “We don’t have to talk about it.  Unless you want to.”

“I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”

“I’ll be right here,” I said, doing my best E.T. impression.

**~*~*~**

After the college preview weekend, I became more aware of people talking about their plans for next fall.  It wasn’t just Wallace.

It was sort of like when you get a new car.  Prior to owning that vehicle, you were barely aware of that make and model, and then suddenly, they seem to be everywhere. 

In that same way, it seemed everyone around me was now talking about college – waiting for acceptance letters, finding out about scholarships, deciding which school to attend.

Having visited Hearst, knowing one of the professors already, hearing Mac and Wallace talk about hanging out together next year on campus … I was being worn down systematically.  Although I had gotten my acceptance letter from Stanford, I had started to think that maybe Hearst wouldn’t be so bad.

After all, my primary argument against Hearst was that I wanted to flee this town.  But now I found myself with reasons to stay.  Not just my dad.  Not just my best friends.  Eli would be here.  If I left Neptune, a piece of my heart would be here with him.

Right about the time these thoughts began to coalesce, I noticed that Eli began distancing himself from me.  When I mentioned it, he denied it – said I was “imagining things” – but it continued.

**~*~*~**

That Tuesday, I noticed he did not hold my hand when we were walking down the hall at school.  He joined me that afternoon to walk Backup on the beach – and again, did not hold my hand or put his arm around me the way he usually did.

On Wednesday morning, I told Mac about the weirdness I had been noticing, finishing with, “And he didn’t call to say goodnight last night or text me this morning.”

“Veronica, I’m sure it’s nothing,” were the words that came from her mouth, but her tone was unconvincing.

**~*~**

Eli left lunch early to take care of something – that he did not specify – and he didn’t kiss me goodbye.  Mac locked eyes with me but didn’t say anything. 

However, Wallace did. “What’s up?  He took off without kissing you.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen him do that before.”

“So … I’m not just being paranoid.”

Wallace shook his head as Mac said, “No.  Something’s definitely hinky.”

**~*~**

Late that afternoon, Mac told me that she had talked to Eli during his tutoring session.

“I asked him if everything was okay between you two.”

“And …?”

“He got … _weird_ about it.  And didn’t really give me an answer.”

“Great!  He’s probably pissed … thinking I told you to ask him.”

“I doubt it.  I mentioned what Wallace and I noticed at lunch.”

**~*~**

Dad had made a quick run to Vegas and would be getting home late – actually closer to dawn. 

I casually brought it up with Eli, saying, “You could come over.  We could watch a movie … or something.”

Although I wasn’t sure if we would watch it or not, I had stopped to rent Foolproof starring Ryan Reynolds.  I hadn’t seen it when it was in theaters, but I remembered someone saying that it was funny and suspenseful, with a bit of a surprise twist at the end.  Sounded like something I’d enjoy even if I watched it later by myself.

We did end up watching it while eating food that Letty had sent over.  It was definitely more enjoyable to watch a movie about other people dealing with dangerous situations rather than having real-life threats coming at you and people you care about.  But I had to smile a bit as I watched the trio of friends deal with the criminal who had brought havoc to their doorstep.

Not long after the movie finished, we were making out, but something was off.  ~~~~

“Where’d you go just now?  Is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“You sure?  Because it’s like you’re not really here with me.  Your mind is somewhere else tonight.”

He mumbled something I couldn’t understand as he stood and headed for the door.  When I grabbed his arm to stop him, he said, “Let me go, V.  I don’t wanna fight with you tonight.”

“I don’t want to fight either.  I just want you to talk to me … about whatever’s going on.”

He remained silent as he walked out the door.

For a few minutes, I sat on the couch, speechless after what had just occurred.  I was considering calling Mac when there was a knock at the door.  I opened it, expecting to see Eli, but it was a neighbor who always clipped coupons for the local pet store because she liked Backup.  I thanked her as politely and as quickly as I could.

He did not come back.  He didn’t text or call to say goodnight. 

I tried not to dwell on it since I had a research paper I really needed to work on, but I had a difficult time focusing and didn’t get much accomplished before I finally crawled under the covers and cried myself to sleep.

**~*~*~**

The next day, he made an attempt at playing the attentive, loving boyfriend, but his performance was lacking.  I didn’t say anything about it though.  I didn’t want to do anything to set him off, still hoping that he would choose to talk to me about whatever was bothering him.

**~*~*~**

Friday morning, he was distant again.  He caught me staring at him.  I didn’t ask about it.  But I could tell that he could tell I wanted to.

He was late getting to lunch.  When he sat down, he leaned toward me to whisper in my ear.

“I just got off the phone with Bri.  Was checking about going up tomorrow.  Figured we could both use a little time away from Neptune.”  Leaning back away from me, he studied my eyes for a moment before asking, “Wanna give me a clue what you’re thinking, Mia?”

The words that ran through my head were: _He wants a clue what I’m thinking, but he won’t tell me what's been going on in his head?!_

But what I said was: “That sounds lovely,” as a (nearly genuine) smile spread across my face.

**~*~*~**

We spent much of Saturday in a bedroom at the B&B.  During our hours in bed, he seemed intent on giving attention to every square inch of my body.  Damn that boy was thorough!  It had been a while since we had truly made love – rather than having a quickie or just making out.  He lavished affection on me slowly and deliberately. 

As pleasurable as it was, nagging thoughts swirled in my head.  There was something noticeably different in the way he touched me.  Not that he had ever been selfish in bed, but he seemed concerned only with my pleasure.  After half a dozen climaxes, my mind became hazy, and I lost count. 

It was like he was trying to tell me something without using words.

On the one hand, I had never felt so close to him – like our hearts were fused during that time together.  But on the other hand, it felt like he was holding back a part of himself from me.

**~*~**

I don’t remember falling asleep, but when I awoke, he was spooning behind me.  When he felt me stir, he began placing kisses between my shoulder blades, continuing on my shoulders and then my neck. 

His lips settled just behind my ear and he half-purred/half-moaned, “Mmm.  Love waking up next to you, Mia.”

I rolled toward him, needing to see his eyes.  The hours we had shared in this bed had been amazing.  Physical intimacy brought with it a sense of bonding as a couple.  And yet, even after all that, there was something he still wasn’t ready to tell me.

We showered and got dressed before heading downstairs.  After we got something to eat, Ben asked if Eli could help him with something.  That gave me a chance to talk to Bri.  I told her that he had been acting strangely and that when I asked him about it, he had said I was imagining it.

She suggested that maybe it was because my friends and I were all talking about college.  “That would not have been a big topic of conversation with his previous circle of friends.”

“But he has his own plans for next year,” I said.  “Big plans that he should be proud of.”

“Tell him that, Veronica.  That’s probably all he needs to hear.  Especially coming from you.”

**~*~*~**

Things had been fine on the drive home Saturday night, so I didn’t want to bring it up.  He had texted me to say goodnight when he got home.  He called me the next morning and we also talked later in the day Sunday.

But Monday, things were weird between us again.  I decided to broach the topic after school.

When I asked him what was going on – and pressed him until he gave me an answer – he told me that I deserved better.  Better than Neptune.  Better than him.

“What are you saying, Eli?”

“We should just end this now … while the pain is survivable.  There’s no point in dragging this out.  It’ll just be more painful later.”

He had caught me completely off-guard. I didn't know what to say. I thought my question would prompt a discussion about how it made him feel hearing everyone talk about their college plans.  I was prepared to give him a big pep talk, tell him how proud I was of him for everything he’d done so far and the plans he had for the future.

I was prepared for that.  I was not prepared for this.

“So … that’s it?!  You just get to decide for me?  It’s my life and—”

“And you should go live it, Mia.”

As he turned to walk away, I yelled, “I don’t think you get to call me Mia after breaking up with me!”

I thought that might provoke a response, but it didn’t.  Apparently, the subject was closed.

When I got back to the apartment, Dad was out.  Thank God.  My hysterical crying would have freaked him out.  I cried for hours as I rolled things over in my head – things he had said and the way he had been acting. 

While taking a long shower (as if that would wash away the tears), it suddenly hit me.  The pieces fell into place.  I figured out what I had been sensing on Saturday at the B&B, what he had been trying to communicate without words – it had felt like he was saying goodbye. I didn't understand it then.  I recognized it now. But I still didn't understand it. 

After everything we'd been through …  after everything we had survived together … why break up with me now?

It felt like a sucker punch to the gut.  I could barely breathe as I got out of the shower, dried off, and got dressed.

As soon as I got my breathing under control, I called Mac.  After I told her my tale of woe, she told me hers.

She had tried to talk to Cassidy about their relationship.  In the process, she had mentioned talking to me.  He was none too happy about that.  Mac wanted to believe that the tension had to do with his dad taking off and possibly the idea that she’d be leaving for college in the fall and he’d be left behind in high school.  But more and more, it seemed that there was something fundamentally wrong with their relationship.  She wanted to communicate openly and be more intimate; he did not.

Cassidy had ended the discussion – and at the same time, he ended their relationship.

She was as shocked and baffled as I was.

We decided to have a girls’ night so that we could wallow over our recent breakups.  When Wallace texted and found out that she was over at my place, he offered to come by, but we told him to keep his happily-coupled ass away from our pity party. 

And he was happily coupled, even with Jackie’s big reveal.  Wallace was coming to terms with her being less-than-forthcoming previously.  He was choosing to focus on the fact that they loved and trusted each other enough to be completely honest now and in the future.

**~*~*~**

Over the next week, heavy silence hung between Eli and me as we passed each other in the halls or saw one another from across the courtyard.  It did not go unnoticed by our classmates, but nobody really asked me about it.  Thankfully.

Mac was still meeting him daily for tutoring.  She had decided not to bring it up. 

After a few days, she told me that he finally said something – commenting that he was surprised that she hadn’t said anything.

When she had asked “About what?” he replied that my silence – and hers too – was killing him, that it would be easier for him to deal with us yelling at him for being an asshole.

Then, she had apparently waxed eloquent about me taking the pragmatic approach – saving my breath and my energy for things I had control over, like my upcoming finals.

After what he had said to me and how he had said it, was there anything I could say to change his mind, anything that would fix the situation?  I couldn’t seem to come up with anything.  Hence, the silence.  It wasn’t “the silent treatment” per se.  It was just a lack of anything to say.  An attempt to accept the things I cannot change … while praying that someday he would change his mind – or rather understand that my life was better with him in it.

One day, I ran into him as I was coming around a corner.  Reflexively, I said, “Sorry.”  To which he had replied, “Hey,” as he brushed a strand of hair away from my eyes and tucked it behind my ear.  That was the most significant interaction we had that first week.

**~*~*~**

Early the following week, Dad got a call from Cliff asking him to come down to the Sheriff’s Department.  Eli had been brought in for questioning.  Cliff explained that they didn’t really have anything to connect him to Thumper’s disappearance and suspected murder.  In his opinion, Lamb was just fishing.

Dad and I went down to talk to Lamb.  We vouched for the fact that Eli was no longer in the PCH Bike Club.  Lamb’s response: “Sounds like motive to me.”

I reminded Lamb of the recording I had previously played for him.  I showed him photos and played additional video footage while explaining the lengths to which Eli had gone to get Thumper’s confession.

“He was trying to get Thumper the _right_ way,” I continued.  “Why would he go to all that trouble … and be working toward building a legal business after graduation … just to throw it away?  He wouldn’t.  Ask his teachers – they’ll tell you the change they’ve seen this year.  He is not the juvenile delinquent you knew.”  I paused before adding, “Besides, the way I heard it, Thumper tried to short the Fitzpatricks.  They are more likely suspects than Eli.”

Lamb returned to the interrogation room where Cliff and Eli had been waiting.  Thirty minutes later, all of us were walking out the front of the building.  As we parted ways in the parking lot, Eli thanked me and shook hands with Dad and Cliff.

Later, Cliff told Dad that Lamb finally decided that Eli probably had nothing further to give him.   The only information Eli gave Lamb was that he and Felix had found out the other PCHers were dealing for the Fitzpatricks.  I only hoped this meant that Lamb would be looking into it further – and leaving Eli alone.

**~*~*~**

The next day at school, Eli thanked me again, saying, “Thought you didn’t have any more get ‘out of jail free’ cards.”

I figured this Kodak moment was as good a time as any to ask for a favor.

Thankfully, his reply was: “After the one you just did for me?  Anything you need.  Just name it.”

“My LaBaron needs an oil change and a tune-up.”

He gave me the address of his newly rented workspace, a small temporary garage in a warehouse a couple blocks from Dad’s office.  I met him there after school.

While he worked on my car, he told me the reason he had asked me for copies of everything from the night Thumper confessed: if he ended up going with his Plan B, he needed the evidence we had in order to convince someone to help him make sure that Felix’s killer got what he deserved.

He proceeded to tell me that Felix had been seeing Molly Fitzpatrick.  Things had gotten serious.  Serious enough that he had told Eli about it and the life they wanted to start together.

To say I was shocked would be an understatement.  I could tell from his voice that he was okay with their relationship, that he did not view it as a betrayal on Felix’s part.

“At first, Felix just got close to her to get information on the Fitzpatricks, but then he fell for her.  Well, they fell for each other.”

“Wow.”

“And in case you’re wondering, he never talked to her about our plan.  He knew it was too dangerous.  And she didn’t know that I knew about them.  Until after he died.”

He had played her the recording of Thumper’s confession as well as the surveillance video of the drop in the confessional.  He told her that Felix had discovered Thumper was working with the hoodlums in her family and that’s what had gotten him killed.  After hearing all of that, Molly had agreed to help Eli.

She went to confession and intercepted the drugs, which she gave to Eli.  He had intended to plant the drugs in Thumper’s locker at some point, but given the opportunity to steal the cash box at Winter Carnival, he decided to be a bit more creative.

After Thumper went missing, Eli had given Hector the information from the paddle as leverage.  As he put it, “I can’t stand the thought of the Fitzpatricks owning them.”

Watching him move around his temporary shop, I was reminded how much he loved working on vehicles and how good he was with his hands. I enjoyed getting to see him work again, but mostly I enjoyed talking to him, hearing the sound of his voice.  I missed being with him.  I missed everything about him.

He talked about getting help putting together his business plan, about getting a few investors lined up, and about beginning the process of getting a loan for a building he had his eye on.

“Eli, I’m so happy for you.  And so proud of you.  Your grandma must be thrilled.”

“I haven’t told her everything.  I don’t want her to get her hopes up if my plans fall through.  It’s enough right now that she knows I’m on track to graduate and that I’m self-employed … legally.”

“Well, that’s a lot to be proud of.”

My words seemed to make him uncomfortable.  He turned his attention back to his work.  ~~~~

I considered saying something else but decided to remain silent and let him work.  I did not want to be a source of pain or discomfort for him.  I wasn’t sure how we had gotten here.  And I didn’t know how to fix it. 

Although he didn’t seem happy about our breakup, he had convinced himself that I would be better off without him.  It broke my heart that I did not know how to change his mind about that.

**~*~*~**

At this point, Angie Dahl and I were the only ones still in the running for the Kane Scholarship.  She had taken a “Summer at Sea” course that counted as college credit which bumped her GPA ahead of mine.  I figured there was no way for me to pull ahead of her.

Then, I found out that Wallace and Logan had gotten the highest score on the egg drop project in Mr. Wu’s physics class.  They were the only team to have their egg survive the twelve-foot drop.  That was not the only thing that pissed Angie off.  In addition to that, she (and the other students who had been dubiously diagnosed) no longer had a free pass to reschedule exams due to “generalized anxiety disorder.”  That might mean that I still had a chance to beat her out for the scholarship.

**~*~*~**

My father was still plugging away on the bus crash investigation.  He decided to “follow the money,” which got him thinking about the people in the limo following the bus.  When he looked into the insurance angle, he discovered that Kendall was the beneficiary on the policies that had been taken out on Dick and Cassidy. 

When Dad dug into Kendall’s phone records, he found calls to Logan, including the day of the crash.  He asked me if I knew why the two of them would be talking to one another.  I told him that I had found out recently that they were sleeping together, but I didn’t know when the affair had started.

A few days later, Dad was able to locate a 1994 yearbook which had a photo of the person we knew as Kendall Casablancas (née Shiflett), but the name under her photo was Priscilla Banks.  According to newspaper articles, the actual Kendall Shiflett had died in an MVA at the age of 15.  Priscilla Banks had been behind the wheel.  And later made the decision to steal Kendall’s identity.

Although he wouldn’t tell me how he had done it, Dad managed to get the hard drive belonging to Kendall (a.k.a. Priscilla).  Mac worked her magic yet again, getting into the encrypted files.

When he requested her assistance, she quipped, “Your wish is my shift-command.”

**~*~*~**

While Dad was busy with his cases, I was handling some of my own.  Gia Goodman hired me to find out who was following her.  Initially, the clues led us in an unexpected direction.  Gia’s father was concerned about threats he had been receiving and wanted his children to have protection.  He hired the private security firm that Leo D’Amato now worked for.

After he explained to us why he was following Gia, he asked me, “Is it true that you’re single again?”

I should not have been surprised that he knew details of my personal life, but I was.  Unsure how to answer his question, I simply nodded.

“In that case, I’d like to take you to dinner sometime.” Seeing the expression on my face, he continued, “Would you at least have coffee with me?”

Mostly to find a way out of an awkward conversation, I agreed to coffee, fully intending to avoid him indefinitely.  But that’s not how things turned out. 

Leo was persistent.  After having coffee – and being reminded how charming he could be and how much I enjoyed his company – we ended up hanging out several times over the next couple weeks.  Eventually, we went to dinner. 

That night, our conversation rolled around to how excited I was that my high school years were almost behind me.  He asked about my plans for prom.  When I said that I didn’t have any, he offered to be my date.  I had made my peace with the fact that I would not be attending the big dance.  But for some reason, I told Leo that I would think about his offer.

**~*~*~**

The next day during lunch, I got a text from Leo that read: _have you thought about it yet?_

I responded:  _yes.  but haven’t decided._

The reply was almost immediate:  _well, I’m optimistic.  I’m gonna make dinner reservations, rent a tux, order your corsage._

As a smile spread across my face, I glanced up and caught Eli watching me.  Why did I suddenly feel like I was cheating on him?  He was the one who had walked away from me.  Did he expect me to sit around and wait for him to smarten up? 

By the look on his face, that may have been exactly what he expected. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my version of the timeline, a little more than 3 months pass between the end of Chapter 16 and when he breaks up with her in this chapter. Hang in there … just a few twists and turns on the way to their HEA.
> 
> Since Valentine’s Day is upon us, I’ll try to get another chapter (maybe even two) posted this week.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 18 was posted earlier this week. If you haven't read that, click back now.
> 
> This chapter contains bits of #2.20 "Look Who's Stalking"
> 
> Events occur during the first half of May 2006 of the Season 2 timeline.

Since all the cashbox money was recovered after it had gone missing at Winter Carnival, the 09ers pushed for Catalina as our senior trip. It did not matter that more than half the seniors signed a petition saying that they would rather go to Six Flags Magic Mountain and ride rollercoasters.

The administration did at least allow us to choose between these two itinerary options: 1) what I like to call the "09er special" (including beach, food, and shopping) or 2) the educational tour (including history and marine life).

The ferry from Dana Point took about an hour. For the 09ers, who were used to being on the family yacht, it was no big deal. However, for some students, it was their first time out on the water, that far from shore.

I spent most of the day with a camera in my hand. The views on Catalina Island were always beautiful. In between shots of blue water and white sand, I managed to get some great candid shots of my classmates. Mac suggested that I sell photo CDs to the other seniors. I had to admit it was a good idea for making some extra cash – and not as socially disruptive as "The Purity Test."

At some point that afternoon, Casey Gant approached me, wanting to catch up on each other's lives before graduation. When Mac came over to join us, he started talking to her. I could tell by the look on her face that she was surprised. Later, she told me that he had never spoken to her before that day.

While he was talking to her, he had said that his parents told him what had been going on. Although he did not spell the whole thing out, Mac assumed that he was referring to the fact that she was now part of the Sinclair family. He assured Mac that it was not public knowledge, but he found out because his mom and Mrs. Sinclair were close friends. I had wandered off to take photos, and the two of them began to bond over their screwed-up families – although they were screwed up in different ways.

Eli had not gone on the senior trip. When I asked him, he told me that he had committed to helping Mr. Dalton reorganize the shop, adding that it would be much more fun than going to Catalina.

As I photographed groups of friends laughing and enjoying the day, I couldn't help but think of the day I had taken pictures of the PCHers, including some great shots of Felix and Eli together. Then, my mind drifted to the photos of Eli and me on the beach.

So much had changed since last summer.

**~*~*~**

Around that time, there was a series of news stories about Woody Goodman that added up to quite a scandal. The first story to break was about him being seen coming and going from the Camelot with several people – all of them significantly younger. A photo of him with a drunken (and barely dressed) young woman made it into the paper. He was dropping her off at the hospital. He claimed that he found her outside one of his restaurants and was just being a Good Samaritan. Then, other photos began to surface of him getting up close and personal with teens and preteens (both boys and girls) in uniforms from Woody's Burgers and the Sharks little league team.

Once the scandal gained some traction, his approval numbers started to tank. Since incorporation was his big issue, the vote on Special Ballot Measure No. 51 was a resounding "No."

As stories about corruption in local government trickled out in the news – much of it related (directly or indirectly) to Woody – Dad, Leo, and I joined forces to figure out who was stalking the Goodmans and why. That meant attempting to confirm the stuff being reported and digging up any dirt on Woody that had not yet surfaced.

While Leo and I worked side by side on this investigation, he suggested that I should consider a career in law enforcement.

"You're a natural at this," he told me.

"Thanks. That means a lot coming from you. But I'm not so sure I want to do this the rest of my life. For now, it's an easy way to make some extra cash while I'm still in school."

"Well, you should think about it at least."

There was something in his eyes, something about his facial expression. Admiration? Respect? Yes. But also something else.

**~*~*~**

The administration at Neptune High made the decision to cancel prom, because a large number of students had been drinking at school events. After the last few basketball games of the season, the janitorial staff had found empty beer and liquor bottles under the stands in the gymnasium. The student body had been given a stern warning about following the rules. However, more bottles were found after the Spring Fling and several students were drinking during the senior trip. Apparently, three strikes = zero proms.

For a few days, I had to listen to Jackie and Wallace bemoan the fact that their grandiose plans (and unrealistic expectations) for prom memories had been ruined. But then, Logan handed me an invitation that read:

Alterna-Prom

Friday, May 13th, 9:00 PM

NEPTUNE GRAND

PENTHOUSE

Formal Attire

No Rules

And just like that … their plans were back on.

**~*~*~**

As expected, Jackie went with Wallace. However, there were a few surprises. Meg and Duncan were able to put their parenting duties on hold long enough to put on formal wear. Casey asked Mac to go with him – and she said yes. Gia was there with Caz Truman – I didn't even know they knew each other.

But the biggest surprise of all – at least to me – was that I agreed to let Leo escort me.

The evening was not without its drama. Logan asked me to dance with him. Against my better judgment, I agreed to one dance.

As we slowly walked in a circle, he whispered in my ear, "We could have been epic … if you had given me a chance. Think of everything we've been through, how long we've known each other." He paused, and he must have felt me tense up.

I could hear what he was leading up to, but I didn't let him get that far. "Logan." My tone clearly said:  _Stop talking. Now_. Then, I added, "If you were about to ask me out, don't. Just don't. I'll save you the trouble. My answer hasn't changed since the last time you asked me."

"Please tell me you're not dating the former deputy again."

As I stepped out of his arms, I responded, "You'll just have to learn to live with disappointment."

Leo must have been watching us because he was right behind me as I stepped away from Logan.

"Everything okay, Veronica?"

I nodded and gave him a kiss on the cheek. As Leo steered me away from Logan, he mentioned that he had called his boss at the security company to tell him he had seen Lucky hanging around the lobby when we came in.

Although we weren't entirely sure if Lucky was the one sending weird stuff to Woody, the security company had seen Lucky following and watching Gia. So the Goodmans had gotten a restraining order against Lucky.

A little while later, we heard something going on just outside Logan's door. Leo and I got out into the hall just in time to see Lamb cuffing Lucky and dragging him to the elevator as he screamed to anyone who would listen:

"Screw you, man! Screw you! He deserved it! People always talk about him like he's this great guy. He's awesome, but you don't know what he really is."

I wondered what and who he was talking about, but figured since it was Lucky, it might not have been anything more than irrational, nonsensical rambling.

After the excitement in the hallway was over, it only took a few minutes for the party atmosphere to return. We stayed a little while longer because the DJ's playlist was amazing. Hanging with my BFFs and their dates – also amazing. Senior memories, right?

On the drive home, Leo got a call saying that Stewart Manning's lawyer was already at the station working on getting him released. I thought that Meg was exaggerating about her father's fondness for Lucky, but apparently, she was spot-on accurate.

**~*~**

Leo pulled into an empty parking place next to my apartment building. He walked around and opened the door for me to get out. Continuing his gentlemanly behavior, he walked me to my front door. I had already decided that I would not be inviting him in. I was still hesitant when it came to getting involved with him and did not want to give him mixed signals and have him think that things were more serious than they were.

Thankfully, he did not make an issue about it. Standing on the welcome mat, he gave me a kiss. It was long and slow, with just the right amount of lip contact and pressure. He didn't paw at me, pull me into him, or press me against the door. The only contact was his hand on the side of my face as he kissed me.

The kiss was perfect. But rather than making me want to linger at the door with Leo, it made me wonder what Eli was doing tonight.

Less than a minute after I got inside, I got a text from Eli:  _can we talk?_

_Now? Tonight?_

_Meet me by the pool._

_At my building? How soon will you be here?_

_Here now._

Looking out the window, I saw him standing there. I locked the door and threw my keys and phone into my handbag, hurrying down to meet him. When I got to where he stood waiting, he took my hand and walked me to the patio overlooking the ocean.

"Eli, what are you doing here?"

"I followed you."

"From the Neptune Grand?"

"Well, from here to there and …" He rubbed the back of his neck while looking down at the ground. "Sorry. I'm not stalking you. Not trying to cause problems. Just still feel protective of you."

"You thought I'd be in danger?"

"No … just … it's hard to think of you with him, with anyone." He paused, staring out at the ocean. "I thought that Lilly was someone I could have loved, but I didn't really understand what that word meant until you ... invaded my life."

His words, his tone, the serious look on his face. I was dumbfounded. Absolutely speechless.

"Veronica, I'm still in love with you and I probably always will be. I don't deserve you, and you deserve so much better than me. I've known it for a while, but it was so obvious tonight watching you with Leo. Respectable, mature, good job – that's what you need. I just want you to be happy. I really do. And it seemed like you enjoyed yourself tonight."

He turned to face me and took my hands in his as he continued, "You don't have to say anything. I just had to tell you – before we graduate and everyone goes their separate ways. But if you ever need me, I'll be there. All you have to do is let me know."

Leaning down, he pressed play on a CD player I hadn't even noticed was sitting there. As a song began to play, he took me in his arms. Every fiber of my being responded to his touch. His breath tickled my neck as he whisper-sang the Spanish lyrics which translated to:

_I need to tell you that you are the love of my life._

_… Everything changed when I saw you._

When the song had ended, he held me just a moment longer, then whispered in my ear, "I want you to have the most amazing life. You deserve it. And as much as it kills me, I think you have a better chance of doing that without me."

Taking one step away from me, he placed his hands on the sides of my head as he pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Goodbye, Veronica."

I was still stunned as I watched him walk away. Words had failed me. I had not been able to find my voice. But there was so much that needed to be said.

And I sure as hell didn't want that to be goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song on CD: "Todo Cambio (Everything Changed)" by Camila (2006)
> 
> Hope you had a Happy Valentine's Day! I'll try to get Chapter 20 up soon, possibly before the end of this weekend.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 18 and 19 were posted last week. If you haven't read those, click back now.
> 
> This chapter contains bits of #2.21 "Happy Go Lucky."
> 
> Events occur between mid-May and early June 2006 of the Season 2 timeline.

Eli had left without the CD and player.  I sat down on a chair and picked up the jewel case to see what he had played.  I read the lyrics in the booklet, tears running down my face as the meaning hit my heart.  I pressed the button to replay the song.  Leaning back in the chair, I looked up at the sky wondering yet again how we had ended up here.

He still loved me, but wouldn’t let me choose to be with him.  Utterly ridiculous! One might even say, “Inconceivable!”

Priority number one: figuring out a way to get through to him.

**~*~*~**

Over the weekend, I came up with a plan, which I shared with Mac.  On Monday, I set the plan in motion.

When Eli arrived in the school office for his daily tutoring session, he was surprised to see me in the chair where Mac usually sat.

“Did someone forget to send me the memo?” Eli asked Miss James.

“Mac had another obligation.  She arranged for Veronica to fill in for her today.”

He cautiously made his way down to my end of the conference table and sat down in the chair next to me.

In a soft voice, I said teasingly, “You didn’t think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?”

He raised one eyebrow.  I wasn’t sure how to interpret that.

“What do we need to work on today, Eli?”

“I’m caught up in everything.  But I need to start to review for the Algebra II final.  My grade is higher than it was but still lower than my other classes.”

About halfway through the class period, the tension had left his shoulders, and we had fallen back into the rhythm of tutoring sessions past.  Much had changed since we were merely “trading favors,” but I was determined to press through any awkwardness and find a way to be in his life.  Whether he liked it or not.

When the bell rang, I wrote down a few page numbers that he should look at on his own later.  As he was picking up his book and notebook, he kept his eye on Miss James until she had left the room. 

Then, he turned to me.  “Is this a permanent change?”  His tone was difficult to read.

“Do you want it to be?”

“Not sure.”

Putting my bag on my shoulder, I said, “Let me know what you decide.”

**~*~*~**

I did not hear from him the next day.  In absence of any communication, Mac resumed her tutoring duties. 

At the beginning of lunch on Thursday, he walked over to my table and sat down next me before anyone else had gotten there. 

“What can I do for you today, Eli?”

“Been thinking about the tutoring arrangement.  I think I’d like to continue with Mac … as long as it still works for her.  But … I was wondering if I could get together with you outside of school.  Not so much tutoring, just somewhere to study.  And if I had a question …”

“I’d be there to answer it.”

“Yeah.”  He watched me, waiting for me to respond.  “I make my own work hours, so you could just let me know when you’d be at the office … or at home … whatever you’d be more comfortable with.”

“I think that could be arranged.”

He smiled and sighed in relief, revealing that he had been nervous about asking me.  “Thanks, M—”  Looking away, he cleared his throat and said, “Thank you, Veronica.”

Just then, everyone else arrived at the table.  Jackie and Wallace.  Mac and Casey.

They all said hello to Eli.  Mac gave him a genuine smile.  Wallace eyed him wearily.  Jackie and Casey seemed to be oblivious to the momentous occurrence that had just transpired.

A few minutes after Eli got up from the table, he sent me a text: _send me your schedule when you get a chance._

Seemed like old times.  And yet not.

Baby steps.  Spending time with him was the only way I had any hope to change his mind.  I would gladly take the opportunity I’d been given.

**~*~*~**

One day at school, I had an oddly random moment in the girls’ bathroom.  Some girl was complaining about Caz.  Apparently, he had given her chlamydia.

Recently, I had been diagnosed with chlamydia during my annual physical.  I had asked Duncan if I could have gotten it from him.  He said no.

Before Eli and I had sex for the first time, we had talked about our sexual histories – since I didn’t have much of a sexual history, that meant him uncomfortably explaining the number of sexual partners he’d had and that he had gotten tested at the clinic after we started dating.  I trusted that he had been truthful when he told me that the test had come back clean.

I began to wonder if I didn’t interrogate enough students last year about what had happened at the party I could not remember.

Caz had been at Shelly’s that night.  Could he have come into the guest room after Duncan left me there?

**~*~*~**

Eli and I had been spending time together at least three times a week.  I would let him know when I was at the office or at home studying, and he would drop by with his books.  We would occasionally take breaks – for snacks or dinner or to take Backup for a walk. 

Our “relationship” – if you could call it that – was in this strange limbo-like state.  We had not completely reverted back to our “trading favors” phase, but we weren’t “back together.”  This possibly-more-than-friends-but-less-than-a-couple status was difficult on my heart.

We were both still in love with each other, and we spent lots of time together.  The difference was that we were no longer sleeping together.  In fact, there was no kissing and very little physical contact.

Confused doesn’t begin to explain the jumbled feelings inside me.

But the bottom line was that I was happy just to be spending time with him again.

**~*~*~**

During the Aaron Echolls trial, it was difficult to sit there and listen to all the testimony, to see all the evidence again.  But if it meant that justice would be done, it was worth reliving the circumstances surrounding the murder of my best friend.

Throughout the proceedings, Logan was there – not so much as the dutiful son, but rather the ex-boyfriend of the murdered girl.  Duncan and Leo were there for most of it.  And Eli was there as often as he could be.

On the day that I was scheduled to give my testimony, all of the men in my life were there.  Dad stood at my side as each of them – Wallace, Duncan, Leo, and Logan – came up to me to offer words of encouragement.  Eli watched from about 30 feet away.  I could see the jealousy in his eyes.  

Glancing at him occasionally as they spoke to me, I tried to make my feelings clear.  And I intentionally kept the other guys just outside my personal space.

Although testifying in court will not top my list of fantastic senior memories, it was no worse than the practice session the district attorney had put me through.  As everyone was leaving court that day, the others approached me to talk briefly.  All the while, Eli kept his distance.  That is until Dad and I reached our cars.

“Veronica.  Do you have a minute?”

Telling Dad that I’d meet him at home, I stood next to my car, waiting to hear what Eli had to say.

“I … I’m not even sure … what I want to say.  Just that … hearing everything in court … and thinking about Lilly and everything that’s happened …” His voice trailed off.  He looked down and rubbed the back of his head.  “I’m not sure there’s anything to say.  But I’d like to give you a hug … if that’s okay.  I sure as hell could use one right now.”

 A small laugh escaped my throat as I stepped toward him.  Wrapping my arms around him felt foreign and natural at the same time.  But when his arms enveloped me, it felt like home.

In that moment, I knew that if we were anywhere else – somewhere private – it wouldn’t take much convincing for me to get more physical with him.  My body was craving comfort sex.  And I knew exactly how good it would be with him.

But we were standing in a parking lot in broad daylight. ~~~~

He began to cry on my shoulder.  I’m not sure who he was crying for, but it made me cry too.  Tears for Lilly, tears for us, tears for Felix and every other victim of the tragedy that is the town of Neptune. 

We held each other tighter as sobs racked our bodies, clinging to the only other person who truly knew all that the other had been through the past few years.

**~*~*~**

After that day, Eli and I had some awkward conversations, but we were finding our way back to being friends.  As finals approached, we were spending even more time together.  The only time we talked was when we took breaks.  Usually, it was just small talk or complaining about whichever class was currently kicking our ass.  Sometimes, he talked about his business plans.  One night during our dinner break, he decided to get personal.

“Guess with all the time we’re together studying … that doesn’t leave much time for you to go out on dates.”

“No.  Not really.  But that’s not a high priority at the moment.”  I wasn’t sure what he was leading up to.

“It doesn’t bother Leo … that you’re not making time to see him … but you’re with me almost every day?”

“No.  I mean, I don’t know … if it bothers him.  He doesn’t know.”

“You haven’t told him?  I would certainly want to know if my girlfriend was hanging out with her ex.”

“Well, since he and I aren’t dating, I didn’t think it was any of his business.”

“You’re not—”

“We did go out.  A few times.  Haven’t been out on a date for a while now.  And we were never a couple.”

“Oh.  I just assumed …”

When he didn’t finish his thought, I said, “I know you did.”

We finished our dinner in silence.

As we were cleaning up, I told him, “Prom night … when you dropped by … and said … what you said …”  I swallowed before continuing, “I didn’t like that you said ‘goodbye’ instead of ‘goodnight.’  I didn’t – I still don’t – want it to be goodbye.”

“Veronica—”

Cutting him off, I said, “My life is better with you in it.  Period.  End of discussion.  You will not change my mind on this.”

It was clear that he didn’t know how to respond to what I had said.  

**~*~*~**

After Eli took his Algebra II final – which was his last one – I waited with him while his teacher graded it.  He was so happy when he saw the grade that he almost kissed her.  Instead, he turned around and picked me up in a bear hug, spinning me around as he exclaimed: "B+, baby! Fuck yeah!”  After he put me back on the ground, he sheepishly looked at his teacher and apologized for the profanity.

“Don’t worry about it, Eli.  Your grade was worth getting excited over.  You’ve done really good work this year.  You should be incredibly proud.  I look forward to seeing you walk across that stage at graduation.”

He seemed embarrassed by her comments as he said, “Thanks.”

When we walked out into the hallway, he was still staring at the paper in disbelief.  He turned it around to show it to me.

I had this overwhelming feeling of déjà vu.  Last spring, he had left a test paper in my locker so I could see his grade.  After I ran down the hallway to hug him that day, we had shared our first public kiss.

“Eli, I’ve said it so many times, but it bears repeating … I am so proud of you.”

He deflected the compliment, giving credit elsewhere, “I couldn’t have done it without your help and encouragement.  Plus my grandma, Mac, your dad, Miss James—”

“I gotta stop you right there.  They did not do this.  We may have convinced you that you were capable of more, that you deserved more.  But you did this.  You.  Nobody else.  And I’m not gonna let you forget that.”

“V …”

“Don’t ‘V’ me.  You have worked so hard, achieved so much.  You deserve everything that you have earned and everything that is about to come your way.  You have grown into a man that your grandmother has every reason to be proud of.  A man that I am proud to know.”  I paused to let my words sink in.  “Maybe you can’t see it right now.  I hope that you’re able to see it someday soon.”

He looked uncomfortable – every nervous habit he had was out on display.

I decided to let him off the hook.  “I’ve gotta get to my last final.  Wish me luck.”

“You don’t need it, but good luck …”  It looked like he was trying to decide what to call me: V, Veronica, or Mia.  Instead, he moved onto another topic, “Any news on the deliberations?”

“Nothing yet.”

“Text me if you hear something.”

“Will do.”

**~*~**

Having drilled the ascendency rules of Babylon into my brain, I walked out of my last final confident that I had done well.  I just wasn’t sure if it was well enough.  Even if I aced it, that still wouldn’t guarantee me the Kane Scholarship.  We couldn’t afford four years at Standford without that money.  Hearst was my backup option, particularly because they were offering me a full ride.  That professor I met on jury duty had meant it when she said she would fight for me.  I still felt drawn to Stanford – it had long been my goal, my dream.  But I could live with Hearst.

Walking to my car, I turned my phone back on.  Just as I climbed behind the wheel, a text came through from my dad.  Sent five minutes ago: _Verdict is in._

I forwarded the message to Eli and headed straight to the courthouse.

His Mustang pulled into the parking spot next to mine as I was getting out of my car. 

Walking up the steps of the courthouse, he asked casually, “How’d your final go?”

“Well.  I think.  We’ll see.”  I shrugged.  I had bigger things on my mind right now.

Dad waved me over to the space he had saved on the bench next to him.  There was enough room for Eli to squeeze in with us.  He held my left hand and Dad held my right.  All three of us were emotionally invested in the outcome of this trial.

We held our breath as the foreman read the verdict.  Then, we collectively sighed as we heard the word “guilty.”

Tears of joy and relief fell from our eyes.  We were stunned that justice had actually been done in Neptune. 

Dad decided that a celebratory dinner was in order.  He even invited Eli along.  Afterward, as we left the restaurant, Dad said he needed to stop at the office for a while and asked if I could head home to walk Backup.  The look in his eyes told me that he was giving me time alone with Eli – if I wanted it.  I did.  I just wasn’t sure what Eli wanted at this point.

For a long time, we walked along Dog Beach in silence.  Then, we sat, watching the waves roll in. Just like old times, I was between his legs with my back leaning against his chest.  Eventually, we walked back to the parking lot.

There was nobody around as he placed a kiss at my temple and then leaned his forehead against mine.  Just like he used to.  When he and I were an “us.”  I wondered if he missed us as much as I did.

I knew I couldn’t press him on it.  But I needed him to know what I was feeling.

Moving my head just enough that my lips could reach his, I kissed him tenderly for just a couple seconds.  Then, I very intentionally said, “Good _night_ , Eli.”

This was definitely not good _bye_.  I wouldn’t let it be.

**~*~*~**

During the last days of the school year, underclassmen still had exams to take, but seniors were just down to graduation rehearsals and yearbook signing.

We were all hanging out at a lunch table.  Wallace and Jackie.  Mac and Casey.  Eli.  And me. 

Everyone was talking, but not about anything important or serious.  Everything serious was behind us.  Nothing to worry about until fall.

I missed the beginning of the exchange, but Mac was apparently teasing Casey.  I was still unclear about the status of their relationship.  According to both of them, they weren’t really dating, but they went out on dates.  They were “keeping it casual” since he was going to college “back East” and Mac would be attending Hearst.  But by all appearances, they were a couple.

The teasing (or rather, flirting) had reached its high point when he asked, “Are you saying that you’re smarter than me?”

Mac replied, “I’m not saying you’re dumb.  Saying it would be cruel.”

“So, you _are_ saying you’re smarter than me.”

“No, I’m not.  Here’s what that would sound like: I’m smarter than you.”

As I sat watching my closest friends laughing, talking, and scribbling heart-felt words in each other’s yearbooks, I realized for the hundredth time how lucky I was.  Two and a half years ago, my life was wrecked – Duncan’s sudden breakup, Lilly’s murder, all my “friends” turning their backs on me.  During junior and senior years, I had been fortunate enough to find a new circle of friends.  People who have had my back in good times and bad.

It had taken a while to develop these friendships – the truest friends I’d ever known or could imagine knowing.  I didn’t want to give that up and start over somewhere else.

Spending four years at Hearst would not be so bad.  In fact, with my friends there, I’m guessing it would be awesome.

Angie had edged me out for the Kane Scholarship.  Somewhere in the midst of our finals, she must have gotten one question right when I got it wrong.  Or she had gotten a bonus point I didn’t.  Or she got more credit for an essay question.

Whatever it was, I had done everything I could possibly have done, and she still won.

Just as I was thinking about that, Wallace asked, “So what’s the verdict?”

“On what?” I asked, confused by his non-specific question.

“About college.  Are you gonna find a way to pay for Stanford?  Or are you joining Mac and me at Hearst?”

Everyone at the table waited for my answer.  I felt Eli shift in his seat next to me.  My answer affected him as much as (if not more than) anyone else sitting here.

I moved my hands from the table in front of me and placed them next to my legs on the bench, bracing for the reaction that would come.  After taking a deep breath, I looked at Wallace and said, “I just recently decided.  Haven’t even told my dad yet.  But …”

“Mars!  The suspense is killing me.  Is my BFF gonna be on campus with me next year or what?”

“Yes.”

Eli’s hand drifted over toward mine on the bench, his pinky just barely touching mine.  I took that as a good sign.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I borrowed a line from another tv show and gave it to Mac: “I’m not saying you’re dumb. Saying it would be cruel.” – David Addison says this to his brother in the middle of a fight [Moonlighting #2.01]


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 18 was posted 2 weeks ago.  So … this makes 4 chapters in 14 days.  If you haven’t checked in for a while, you should click back. 
> 
> CH 18 = Hearst campus visit and demolition of Old Shark Stadium. 
> 
> CH 19 = senior trip and Alterna-Prom. 
> 
> CH 20 = final exams and Aaron Echolls trial. 
> 
> Now … moving on to graduation and wrapping up the school year/season.
> 
> This chapter is a modified version of #2.22 “Not Pictured.”

During my freshman year at Neptune High, some local civic organization – apparently concerned about our mental and emotional wellbeing – gave all the students a business-card-sized “FREE hug card.”  The three graduating classes before us had handled things with more maturity and less snark.  The Class of 2006, however, could be counted on to cause trouble right up to the very end.

As my classmates crossed the stage to receive their diplomas from Principal Clemmons, each of them redeemed the card for a free hug.  Clemmons was mildly annoyed at the delay this caused, but after he realized the trend would continue, he finally gave in and embraced the moment. 

After Eli Navarro’s name was called, there was quite a bit of cheering, including several teachers.  I’m sure that Letty, my dad, Mac, and I were the loudest ones in the crowd.  When Eli walked across the stage, Clemmons gave him a hug of sincere congratulations.  I would love to have heard what he said that made Eli smile.

**~*~**

After I took photos of Wallace with his family and with Jackie, I handed off my camera to Dad to take photos of me with Wallace and Mac, before she ran off to celebrate with both her families.  Then came the photos of me with my father, taken by Alicia.

Alicia still had the camera pointed at me when Dad gave me my present – an envelope that was clearly not big enough to contain a pony.  I opened the flap to find plane tickets to New York City.  I’m sure the photo she took captured the excitement I felt at that moment.

Dad explained, “We leave Tuesday.  The Fennel family will be traveling with us.  Figured you wouldn’t mind sightseeing in NYC with your best friend.”

Jackie, who was standing nearby, added, “I’ll be on the Tuesday flight, too.  Heading home.”

Terrence wrapped an arm around his daughter as he reminded her, “You’ll always have a home here, too.”

She smiled at him and said something I couldn’t hear.

Wallace stepped toward me, giving Jackie a moment with her father.  “I’m gonna get to meet the rest of her family.  Especially looking forward to meeting her son.  And her mom, of course.”

Dad handed my camera back to me as he said, “Honey, I’ve gotta leave for Nevada.”

When the scandal hit critical mass, Woody had taken off.  My father had tracked him to Quail Creek Lodge which was just outside Reno.

“Be safe, Dad.  Let me know when you’ll be heading home.”

He kissed the top of my head.  Then, he gave Alicia a kiss romantic enough to embarrass their children.  “See all of you soon.”

There was nothing left for the rest of us to do, except go home … and get ready for the party tonight.

On the way to my car, I caught a glimpse of Eli with his family.  I walked over to say a quick hello, and Letty insisted on getting a photo of us together.  She handed me a thank you gift – as well as one for Mac – for all the help I had given her grandson.  Plus, she invited me and my dad to the party they were having Sunday afternoon.  I told her that we’d try to be there.

After congratulating Eli one more time and giving him a hug, I asked if he planned on attending Logan’s party later that evening. 

“I suppose I could move some things around on my calendar, open up enough time to make an appearance.”  If I wasn’t mistaken, there was a bit of flirtation in his tone.

“Wow, you’d really do that for little ol’ me?!” I said sarcastically.  “I guess I’ll see you there.”

Just then, Miss James approached him.  That was my cue to leave.  I could hear him introducing her to Letty.  Turning around to catch a glimpse of the smile on his face and the proud look on the faces of the two women, my heart overflowed with happiness.

Heading for my car again, I said goodbye to a few people as I went.  Along the way, I found out that Dick would be moving in with Logan and attending Hearst, while Cassidy would be moving up to Frisco with his mom’s new family.

Finally getting to my LeBaron, I found Leo leaning against the driver’s side door waiting for me.

Holding up his hands, he said, “Not stalking you.  Just wanted to let you know that I’ll be at Logan’s party tonight, keeping an eye on Gia.  Wondered if you’d want to go—”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to go together.  Not even if you only meant going in the same vehicle.”  For emphasis and clarity, I added, “I’m not interested in getting into a relationship right now.  And I have a feeling that you are.  I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea.”

“Understood.  You’ve made that pretty clear.  But we can talk to one another while we’re both at the same social function, right?”

**~*~*~**

Shortly after I arrived at the Neptune Grand, I got a call from Eli saying that he wasn’t going to make it to the party after all.  When I asked why, he explained that one of his cousins asked him to help with car repairs.  He’s 16. First car.  And Eli was proud of him for earning the money to buy it. 

“When he asked, I couldn’t say no.”

Of course, he couldn’t say no.  And I loved that – and many other things – about him.  I told him to send me pictures of the progress on the car and that I’d see him in a couple days at the party Letty was throwing for him and two of his cousins who graduated earlier in the day.

The Logan’s party was in full swing when I got up to his suite.  I scanned the room to see who was there already.

Although Gia was not exactly “with” Caz, they had gone to prom together, and he was hanging around her on this particular night, clearly hoping to get lucky.  He was no more thrilled with Leo’s protective presence tonight than he had been on prom night.

Caz quickly got drunk and went looking for an easy score, hitting on every unattached female in attendance.  At some point during the night, he hit on me.  When I turned him down, he started saying angry, hateful things about women being teases.  Adding that he preferred when they just shut up and let him take what he wanted.  In the middle of his rant, he confessed to having his way with me at Shelly Pomroy’s party.

His admission had me reeling, and I excused myself to the balcony.  There was no reason for him to lie, to confess to something he didn’t do.  But I couldn’t remember anything that I could testify against him.  And there was no evidence from that night.  I wanted to believe that if someone had seen him go into the room I was in, that one of my classmates would have mentioned it when I had interrogated them last spring.  I was gonna need some time to come to terms with this information – and the fact that (unless I could dig up some evidence that had thus far gone unnoticed) I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

Joining me outside on the balcony, Leo informed me that one of his coworkers had just told him they now had proof that Caz, in addition to Lucky, had been stalking Gia.

We went inside to find her, only to realize that both Caz and Gia were no longer at the party.  We asked around and found out that they had left together.

Judging by the way Gia had been acting with Caz earlier, I didn’t think she would have gone with him willingly.  I tried to call her.  Getting no answer, I texted her:  _Stay away from Caz. He’s been stalking you._  

As I hit send, Leo told me that the security guy in the lobby had checked with the manager who gave them the number of the room reserved in Caz’s name.  Leo said I should keep looking around for Gia while he went to check Caz’s room.

A couple minutes later, I got a reply from Gia to meet her on the roof.

But when I got there, Gia wasn’t there. 

The voice I heard call my name belonged to Lucky.  He was waving a gun around and ranting about shutting me up so I couldn’t get in the way anymore.  His rambling went from complaining about me warning Gia via text to confessing several things.

He had made the anonymous phone call that led to Curly’s death and had also set the ball in motion to take out Woody.  It was hard to follow Lucky’s train of thought, but he seemed to believe that Woody had blown up the bus with a bomb built by Curly.  He decided to take both of them out to show his love and devotion for Meg – who would have been on the bus if the 09ers hadn’t taken a limo.

Lucky pulled a cell phone out his pocket and explained that he had put a “present” on Woody’s plane.  “I heard that Woody is in the air … returning to Neptune to be charged for at least some of his crimes.  Should be coming from that direction.  Let’s watch the fireworks together.”

I screamed and begged him not to press the button.  My dad was on that plane.

He laughed maniacally, saying that was a bit of bad luck.  He added that he’d give me a minute to call Dad and say goodbye.

As I speed-dialed my dad’s number, I kept an eye on Lucky.  After three rings, it went to voicemail. 

Pleading with the gun-wielding lunatic did no good.  He held down a button on his phone, and immediately an explosion lit up the night sky.

Crumpling to my knees, I wailed and sobbed uncontrollably, tears running down my face.  My head spun and pounded.  My insides felt shredded for what seemed the hundredth time in the past few years.  How could this be happening? 

A couple moments later, Lucky began to ask me to jump off the roof.  He wanted me out of the way too.  And apparently, he didn’t want to get my DNA on himself. 

My phone was still in my hand.  Somehow, I managed to text Leo without Lucky seeing what I was doing.

Thankfully, it only took Leo a couple minutes to get up to the roof.  After a struggle, the gun was knocked out of Lucky’s hand. As he and Leo wrestled one another on the ground, I picked up the gun.  I did not have time to dwell on the similarities between this scene and the night Aaron Echolls had run Eli and I off the road last spring.

Firing one bullet straight up into the air once, I then pointed it at Lucky.  “Leo, get away from him.”

Leo reached toward me, saying, “Veronica, please hand me the gun.”

I shook my head as I told him why I wanted to shoot Lucky.  “He killed my father.”

Continuing to step closer, Leo said in a calm, soothing tone, “You’re not a killer, Veronica.”

He wrapped one arm around me and took the gun from me with his other hand.  I collapsed against him as I told him what Lucky had said.  Leo helped me sit down, and then he dealt with the situation.

After he had handcuffed Lucky, he called the Sheriff’s Department.  While we waited for help to arrive, Leo held me.

A couple of deputies showed up, took Lucky into custody, and wrote down our statements.

**~*~**

It turned out that Caz had taken some random girl to the room he reserved.  Lucky had grabbed Gia from the party and had taken her to a nearby room.  He saw the text I sent her about Caz, but misread it, thinking I was warning Gia about him.  Leaving her tied up in the room, he went to the roof to deal with me.

**~*~**

I was in a haze as Leo took me back to my apartment.  He carried me up the stairs and put me on the couch.  After he pulled a blanket over me, he made me tea.  He offered to stay, saying that he didn’t think I should be alone.  I agreed.

He held me, stroking my hair and rubbing my back.  “Go to sleep, Veronica.  After everything that happened tonight, your body needs rest.”

I knew that he was right, but my thoughts were swirling.  There was no way I could sleep at that moment.

Disbelief over tonight’s events.  Trying to make sense of why Woody would have blown up the bus.  Trying to come to terms with Caz’s confession.  Trying to accept the fact that my father was dead.

Shock hit me hard.  Grief washed over me in waves.

My body was exhausted.  My mind was reeling.  My emotions were numb.

Although his comfort was needed and appreciated, Leo’s arms were not the ones I longed to have around me.  My dad’s arms would have been my first choice; Eli’s would have been my second.

**~*~*~**

We must have fallen asleep on the couch together.  I awoke to the sounds and smell of Leo making breakfast.  Before my eyes opened, my mind was hopeful that it was my father at work in the kitchen.  When I saw Leo standing in front of the stove, memories from last night came crashing back into my new reality, and I burst into tears.  Just as he rushed over to wrap his arms around me, I heard movement in the hallway.

I turned to see my father standing there.  He was confused by what he was seeing and expressed concern about finding the two of us together on the couch when he got home.

Taking a minute to explain what had happened last night – and what I thought had happened – I clung to Dad.  As he took in my words, he told me that Lamb hadn’t wanted him on Woody’s plane, that he had gotten off at the last minute.

Grief was replaced by waves of relief.  And yet, there were a few things that were no different than they had been last night: Caz had raped me, Woody had blown up the bus, and Lucky had killed both Curly and Woody in some deranged Hinkley-style effort to avenge what he viewed as an attempt on Meg’s life.

While the three of us ate the food that Leo had prepared, he and Dad filled in details that I didn’t have yet.  Dad had had some time to question Woody while they were waiting to fly back to Neptune.  Leo had called a former coworker at the Sheriff’s Department and got details on Lucky’s part in all this.

Lucky had overheard Woody offering to help Terrence Cook.  Later, he had heard Woody hire Curly to build a bomb.  Lucky had been working at the stadium on the day of the crash.  He had seen Woody near the bus during our tour of the stadium and then saw him hurry to his helicopter after the bus left the parking lot.  Lucky might be certifiable, but he correctly assumed that Woody had planted the bomb and then followed the bus in his helicopter to detonate the bomb.  Although it was uncertain when he would have put the rat on the bus, it had been effective in ensuring that his daughter and the other 09ers would be riding in another vehicle on the way back to school.

Apparently, Lucky had heard talk at school involving Cervando and the Fitzpatricks.  Deciding to use that info to spin a story, Lucky had made the anonymous call to Eli in order to get the PCH Bike Club to take out Curly.  He had watched from a distance as Thumper had beaten Curly.  Lucky had been the one to write Duncan’s name on Curly’s hand before dumping the body into the ocean.

When Dad and Leo had finished their narrative, I added, “The day we visited Shark Field, Woody mentioned that he decided to invite the journalism classes because he wanted his daughter to make friends.  I doubt that was his real reason for arranging our field trip.”

Leo began to clear the dishes which gave Dad an opportunity to pull me into another hug.  No complaint from me.  I was over-the-moon happy that my dad alive and well, at home with me. 

We turned our heads when we heard the front door close.  Leo had decided to let us have this Kodak moment to ourselves.

Dad asked cautiously, “The two of you are dating again?”

“No.  I mean we did go out … but no.”

A few minutes later, I went back to my room to get my phone, with the intent to thank Leo for staying with me last night.  But I got sidetracked because there was a text from Eli:  _Just heard the news.  Wanted to make sure you’re ok._

Unsure how to reply in a text, I opted to call him.  I explained that the night before had been horrible, mostly because I went to sleep thinking that Dad had died when the helicopter blew up.

“Did Wallace or Mac stay with you last night?” When I said no, he asked, “Why didn’t you call me?”

“I … wasn’t alone.”  There was silence until I spoke again.  “Leo was there last night … at the Neptune Grand … when Lucky … and after giving my statement, he drove me home.”

“And he stayed.”

“Yeah.”

He was slow to respond, but when he did, his tone told me he meant it when he said, “I’m glad he was there for you.”

I sat listening to him breathe, wondering if there was anything else to say.

Finally, he asked, “Are you and your dad coming to the party tomorrow?”

“If you want us to.”

“Of course, I do.”

“I wasn’t sure.  It was your grandma who invited us, not you.”

“V.”  His tone said what he couldn’t: that it wouldn’t be the same if we weren’t there to celebrate his accomplishment.

“Can we bring anything?”

His response was immediate.  “Snickerdoodles.”

Smiling, I said, “Well, then … I’d better start baking.  See you tomorrow.”

**~*~*~**

On Sunday, Dad and I made our way over to the Navarro house for the graduation party.  Letty greeted us as soon as we got there.  After giving us an update on her health – which thankfully was continuing to improve – she pointed us toward the food and said she would find Eli to let him know that we had arrived.

I had a container of snickerdoodles because Eli had requested them.  While I was making them, I had been thinking about Felix and the events of the past several months.  I tried not to give into the sadness that accompanied most of the memories, but I had cried quite a bit before the cookies had finished baking.

As Dad and I moved through the clusters of people, everyone was friendly toward us, but it was a bit awkward to be there with Eli’s family now that he and I weren’t together.

It seemed that some relatives were confused about our status – since I was here and the two of us had appeared friendly at graduation.  A couple of his female cousins directly asked me what was going on with Eli and me, desperate to know if we were a couple or not.

I replied, “Why don’t you ask your cousin?”

“We did.  He won’t give us a straight answer.”

I shrugged and began to walk away as I mumbled, “Welcome to  _my_  world.”

Later, Letty cornered me and asked why we had broken up.

Shaking my head and giving a little shrug, I said, “You'd have to ask your grandson that.” 

What was I supposed to say to her?  The words that were on the tip of my tongue were:  _He acted like he was doing me a favor while he was breaking my heart._  But that was not something I thought I should say to her.

Back before the bus crash, I had bartered with several of Eli’s relatives as payment for family and senior portraits.  One of the things I got out of the deal was a one-of-a-kind prom dress – black strapless with red accents, in honor of Lilly.  His cousin Anita had made a dress that exceeded my expectations.  I had texted her a photo from the night of Alterna-Prom and thanked her, but I wanted to thank her again in person.  I made a point of raving about her work in front of as many family members as would listen.  Anita was incredibly talented, but I had a feeling she needed repeated reminders the way that Eli did.  It was the least I could do.

After making the rounds for more than an hour, I stepped out onto the front porch to get away from all the questioning eyes.  In a matter of minutes, Eli joined me.  We sat on the steps in silence for a long time.  After the crazy events the other night, it felt so good just being near him.

Leaning my head on his shoulder, I said, “You have a calming effect on me.”

“Calming?!  Then, I need to step up my game.”

I laughed at his comment while wishing he would at least put his arm around me.  A few seconds later, as if he had heard my thoughts, he enveloped me in his arms.

“Scared me to death when I heard about Friday night.  Don’t think I could handle it if something happened to you.”

I’m not sure how long we sat there like that before Dad came looking for me, suggesting that we should get home.

In the car, Dad asked me, “So what’s going on with the two of you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, are you dating?  Are you enemies?  Somewhere in between?”

“We’re not together, but …”

“You can’t seem to stay apart?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

During the drive home, I stared out the window thinking about the two hours we had spent at the Navarro house.  My interaction with Eli had been equal parts awkward, friendly, and flirtatious.  Nothing had been settled.  Not by a long shot.  But it seemed that we might find our way back to some kind of relationship, at least a friendship. 

The thing was … friendship wasn’t what I wanted.  But I wanted him in my life in whatever way he would allow.  I could tell that he still thought he wasn’t good enough for me, that I was better off without him.

**~*~*~**

On Monday while I was packing for our trip, I made sure I had all the essentials for sight-seeing: sunscreen, sunglasses, camera.  And since we were heading to NYC to make our little town blues melt away, I told Dad that I had also packed vagabond shoes … and pepper spray, for if we run into that Trump character.

Tuesday morning, our entourage left for the airport.  Me and my dad.  Alicia, Wallace, and Darrell. And Jackie who was making her way home – to her mom and her son, to a very different life than she had in Neptune with Terrence Cook.

During the flight, Wallace and Jackie were in their own little world.  Dad and Alicia were also cozy.  That left me with Darrell.  We played games most of the time. 

And for a little while, I forgot about Neptune.  About all the drama and trauma surrounding the bus crash.  About Felix’s death and other events caused by Thumper.  About high school memories and old acquaintances that should “be forgot and never brought to mind.”  About Eli pushing me away, while keeping me within reach.

It had been a long year. What an understatement!  It was a miracle that I had survived it.  Equally miraculous that Dad and Eli were alive.  Some of my classmates had not been as fortunate. 

As I looked out the window of the plane, I saw a rainbow below us.  It reminded me of something important: Even the most violent storms can be followed by beauty.

I made a vow to never take things for granted.  Because none of us are promised tomorrow.   

Glancing down the row at my father, my best friend, and our other traveling companions, gratitude overwhelmed me.  I had so much to be thankful for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter in this fic – epilogue covering their NYC trip. 
> 
> Chapter 1 of Part 3 (Commence) will be posted the same day as Chapter 22 of Part 2 (Process). 


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